Final Fantasy 7: The Story 3rd Instalment
by Emerald Princess of Vernea
Summary: The third and final instalment of a complete novelisation of Final Fantasy VII. This instalment covers Junon to the end of the game. See Instalments 1 and 2 for the rest of the story. Please read and review!
1. Prologue

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

Welcome to _Final Fantasy 7: The Story 3rd Instalment_! This will hopefully be our third and final instalment. If you are new to this fic, I recommend you read the first two instalments located on my profile. Instalment 1 follows the game from Midgar to the Gold Saucer. Instalment 2 follows the game from Gongaga to the North Crater.

I hope you all enjoy the last instalment! I will try to get it finished before 2008! Thanks to everyone who has been following the fic since its birth! You know who you are! (Special hugs to Cloud-821 for being such a fantastic follower!)

**_DISCLAIMER_**

Emerald, Princess of Vernea does not own Final Fantasy 7 and is not associated with it or its creators in anyway. This is a novelisation of the text (writing up these things is a hobby), and Emerald only lays claim to the written form and original dialogue that does not appear in the game. Everything else is copyrighted to Squaresoft, the creators of Final Fantasy 7.

**Final Fantasy VII: The Story 3rd Instalment**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Prologue**

In the darkness, the Planet cried. Its cries could be heard by all those lost to the Lifestream, or by those with the ability to hear. Those who heard its cries described it as mournful. Mournful of the pain it had suffered at the hands of those who lived on it. Mournful of what would happen. Mournful of what it knew it must do.

Cloud sat alone in the darkness. He let the darkness sweep past him, even through him. Maybe here, in the endless darkness, he would find where he truly belonged. The light of the present hurt too much—he could never return there. Cloud let his head fall onto his knees and closed his eyes, ready to sleep forever.

"Cloud… Cloud…"

It was Tifa's voice that called to him. Her voice was a dagger through his heart—a reminder of the life he could never go back to. So he stood and turned his back on the light, and walked the lonely path into the shadows.

Tifa could only watch helplessly as her friend vanished into the dark. She tried to run after him, to bring him back, but the shadows soon swallowed him up and removed him from her sight. Weakly she fell to her knees and stared into the shadows where Cloud had gone.

Deep down, Tifa blamed herself for what happened. If she had told him sooner, maybe this wouldn't have had to happen. But how could she? How can you tell someone you care about… that they might not be who they think they are? Even as the darkness flowed around her, Tifa cried, wishing that Cloud would come back.

"……I didn't know what to do," she cried. "I was always like that…"

Her memories strayed back to the day that Cloud Strife arrived in Midgar.

_Tifa entered the Sector 7 train station. Barret was late from an errand again. The 7th Heaven had been receiving bad press due to Barret's temper and lack of self-control, so Tifa had sent him out to keep him out of her hair. But he was running late again, so she went to the station to wait for him._

_Something odd was happening when she arrived. The station guard and his dog were by the stairs, standing beside a handsome young man who had collapsed after getting off the train. He had an unusual glow in his eyes and was very pale, as though he had been sick recently. A large sword, dented and stained, lay by his feet._

"_What's the matter?" the guard asked, giving the man a nudge._

_The young man lifted his head. He stared groggily at the guard, his spiky blond hair falling damply around his face. His eyes were wide with fever. He tried to speak but could not form the words. "Ohhh…" was all he could manage. His head fell limp to his chest._

"……_Poor kid," said the guard, looking down at the spiky-haired young man._

"_Ooouugh……" the young man moaned._

_Quickly Tifa ran forward, pushing past the station guard. The guard recognised Tifa as one of the residents of the slums and thought she would knew better how to handle the ailing young man. He walked away, his dog following closely at his heels._

"_Are you all right?" asked Tifa, kneeling down beside the man._

_Hearing her voice, the young man slowly raised his head to look at her. Tifa stared at his eyes, bright blue with an eerie glow. The man stared at her strangely, his mouth moving though no sound escaped his lips. His head lolled to one side and Tifa feared he was going to die right in front of her. But the young man recovered himself and lifted his head again, looking into her eyes and fighting to stay there._

"_Oo… uh… agh. Uh… uh… Tifa?"_

_Tifa jumped, startled. How did he know her name?_

_The young man winced, breaking Tifa from her thoughts. He moaned and shook his head. Then he looked up at her again._

"_Tifa…?" he said again, this time with a little more strength. Once again he groaned painfully and shook his head, as though he had a terrible headache. Suddenly he stood up, moving so rapidly that Tifa nearly fell back. The man stood up straight and looked at Tifa, a smile on his face. He flicked his hand through his blond hair. "Tifa!" he said excitedly._

"…………_?" Tifa stared at him. Did she know this young man? There was something a little familiar about him. Where did she know him from? Not from Midgar—she would have seen him before. Nibelheim, perhaps? The flicker of a past memory appeared in her mind and she remembered. She had almost forgotten that boy… "Oh, Cloud!" she said after placing the name._

_The man nodded. "That's right. I'm Cloud."_

_Tifa smiled, glad to run into an old childhood friend. "Is it really you, Cloud?" she asked, to be sure. "I never thought I'd find you here!"_

_Cloud nodded again. "Yeah, it's been a while."_

"_What happened to you?" Tifa asked him. "You don't look well," she added, noting his pale face and sweat-damp hair._

"……_Yeah?" said Cloud, confused. "It's nothing. I'm okay."_

_Tifa turned away, suddenly feeling that something wasn't right. He had been very sick, unable to speak properly, on the verge of death even, until a few moments ago. Now he was standing and talking as though nothing had happened._

_While Tifa's back was turned, Cloud suddenly grasped his head. His body shook with pain. When Tifa turned back, however, Cloud had returned to normal._

"_How long has it been?" asked Tifa thoughtfully._

_The question made Cloud twitch. Suddenly he moaned and grabbed his head again. Tifa watched, her eyes sad. She shook her head. When Cloud stopped shaking and was able to speak again, he answered, "Five years."_

_Tifa stared at him. "…………" Did he even remember he was sick?_

_Cloud shrugged dismissively. "What is it?" he asked, noticing Tifa's worried gaze._

"…_It's really been a long time," answered Tifa, smiling softly._

"Actually, it's been seven years. You got your wish and joined SOLDIER, quit after the Sephiroth incident, and now you're a mercenary… You told me a lot about what happened after you left Nibelheim… But… Something's wrong. I felt there was something strange about the things you talked about. All the things you didn't know that you should. And other things you shouldn't know that you did…

"I wanted to make sure… But then I heard… you were going far away… And I didn't want that… …I didn't know what to do. So, I thought I needed more time. And that's why I told you about the AVALANCHE job. I wanted to be with you, watch you."

Tifa closed her eyes and cried.

**Emerald:** I didn't know whether to place this as an epilogue to the last instalment, or a prologue to this one. I decided with a coin toss. The gods have decided.


	2. Part Ten: Chapter 01

**Final Fantasy VII: The Story 3rd Instalment**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Part Ten: Weapon Strikes**

**Chapter One**

The first thing Tifa noticed when she came around was the glare. The harsh glare of light that seemed to come from nowhere, yet everywhere. It burned through her eyelids and into her soul. Tifa moaned softly and turned her head away from the glare, wishing it would stop and let her sleep. It continued to burn through her, bringing her to consciousness. Opening her lips, she breathed softly. The air was warm. As she breathed, she came to realise that someone was beside her.

"…ding…"

"Huh?" came a voice.

The voice came from the person who sat beside her. Tifa flexed her fingers, and then curled them into her palms. She knew that voice. It was deep and baritone, speaking unusually softly and filled with concern and worry. She could not place his name, though. Sadness overwhelmed her. She had hoped it would be Cloud's voice that awakened her, but inside she knew that it would not be his voice. Tifa began to open her eyes—winced against the harshness of the light. "The glare…" she said quietly, aware that her voice sounded dull and unnatural in the unending light.

The person beside her spoke again. "You'll be better soon. You've been asleep for a long time."

Tifa turned her head to face the man who spoke. She had been asleep… for a long time? How long a time? Opening her eyes only a little, she could just make out the shadow of a large man sitting nearby. The bright light obscured most of his image from her, but she could see just enough to make out who he was and remember his name. Closing her eyes again, she let her head roll back to face the ceiling.

"I'm…… hungry…" she said, suddenly becoming aware of how hungry she was. She was becoming more aware about other things, too. Like how stiff and sore her body was, and how she was lying on a hard bed with nothing but a firm pillow beneath her head. Questions began to run in the mind, but she could not focus on them for long.

Beside her, she heard a faint, amused chuckle. The man quickly stopped himself from laughing further, and dropped his voice to a serious level. "Hey, why don't you ask?" Getting up off his chair, he looked at Tifa and added: "About him."

The glare faded. Tifa opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling fan and dim lights, unmoving. Then she pushed herself up by her elbows and propped herself by her hands. She shivered, feeling the air suddenly go cold. Finally she raised her head and looked at Barret. "…Because I'm scared," she said.

"Don't worry," Barret told her, his voice unusually quiet. "I don't know what happened to Cloud either." Seeing the fear in Tifa's eyes, the big man paused and scratched the back of his head. "Guess I shouldn't be telling you not to worry…" He shook his head. "None of them know if he's all right either."

Tifa looked down at her feet. "He's still… alive, right?" Barret nodded. Tifa took in a deep breath and sighed heavily. After taking a moment to swallow her fears for Cloud and push them aside, she looked up at Barret. "How long… was I asleep?"

"Lesse now……" said Barret, thinking for a moment. "Must've been about 7 days."

"What about Sephiroth?"

"You ain't over it yet," said the big man gravely. Tifa looked at him questioningly. Barret crossed his arms and explained. "Remember that huge light, in the Northern Cave? Since then, the crater's been surrounded by a huge barrier of light. Everyone knows Sephiroth sleeps in that big hole, protected by the barrier. We can't do a damn thing about it. We just gotta wait till he wakes up. An' on topa that, some huge monster called Weapon's been on a rampage."

While Barret was talking, Tifa swung her legs over the side of the bed and let her feet touch the cold floor. She still wore her diamond-studded battle gloves, she noticed, although one diamond was missing on the left glove, and others were chipped. They would need replacing, though it would be cheaper to simply buy a new set of gloves. Shame—she liked this particular pair. She'd almost forgotten Barret was speaking until she heard him mention Weapon. She looked up.

"…Weapon?" she asked.

"Remember that huge monster that was with Sephiroth, at the bottom of the crater," said Barret. "They say it's some legendary monster from the past."

Monster……? Yes, she did recall that a little. Her memories of the events at the Northern Cave were somewhat sketchy—flashes of images she could just about put into some sensible order. She remembered the giant monsters flying out of the crater… The collapse of the crater, when the crystal holding Sephiroth fell from its nest and into the shadowy depths below… Cloud looking down at her sadly before the rain of mako broke through the nest and swallowed him up…

Tifa bit her lip. She hadn't meant to think of Cloud. But his face… his voice… his eyes… They were always there, in her mind. Try as she might, she could not close the veil to block him out, even for a second. Not that she wanted to forget him. There were other things, things more important than him, which she had to focus on… Like Weapon and Sephiroth. Cloud… He would have to wait. For now…

Closing the veil just enough to shield him from her mind, but leaving enough of his image to make sure she did not forget about him, Tifa turned to Barret. "Weapon… is protecting Sephiroth?" she asked.

Barret shook his head. "Dunno," he admitted. "But he's up here goin' around tearin' shit up. Right now Rufus's fightin' it. I hate to say it, but he's got guts." Tifa slid off the bed and stood up, brushing herself off. While she brushed herself down Barret walked slowly across the room, close to the shuttered windows. He sighed. "We shoulda been the ones to destroy it, but we ain't got no time…"

"Time…" Tifa repeated, thinking. Suddenly, she looked up. "…Hey! How about Meteor?"

Barret stopped next to the last closed window. He looked at Tifa gravely—a silent warning for her to prepare herself. Tifa came to stand beside him. After a moment's pause, Barret pressed a small button at the base of the window. There was a resounding click and the three windows began to open. The metal shutters covering the windows slid up, letting a sea of orange-yellow light flood into the room. Tifa raised her arm to cover her eyes as the warm light fell upon her face. When her eyes adjusted she gazed through the open window and looked to the sky. She gasped.

The sky she looked upon was not the same sky she saw just days before. The normally blue sky had changed into a burning hue of orange-red, making it seem as though the very sky was on fire. The moon was visible in the daytime sky, brought to light by the burning clouds, though the moon itself was just a dark disk covered in shadow in a sea of orange.

But there, directly above them, was the most terrifying sight that Tifa had ever seen in all her twenty years of life. Meteor hung high in the sky, enveloped in a shroud of flames. It was five times larger than the moon and grew bigger with each passing day. It seemed so close and so large that it made Tifa's heart shudder in fright. There was no doubt in her mind that Meteor would fall onto the planet. This was the power of the Black Materia. Its power had drawn this blazing fireball from its path and had brought it on a direct course with their planet. This was what they had fought so hard to prevent.

Fought so hard… And failed.

Tifa lowered her gaze. She could not stand to look at Meteor any longer. Meteor would fall, that was certain. Was it too late to stop it? She clutched at her shirt and felt her quickening heartbeat. Almost choking in her fear at the sight of the descending fireball, she looked at Barret. "Do we have to give up?" she asked him.

Barret looked back at her. The same fear was in his eyes. That scared Tifa, perhaps more so than the sight of Meteor above them. Even Barret, once the leader of a prominent resistance group in Midgar and who was prepared to kill Shinra soldiers for the sake of revenge on his hometown, was afraid of this. Yet, even as he looked at her, she saw him fighting that fear.

"…Dunno," the man answered finally, turning his gaze away. Tifa watched him in silence. This fear was a battle that Barret would fight alone.

As she watched him the door behind them opened, and Rufus Shinra walked into the room. He entered alone, something that struck Tifa instantly as odd. The Shinra president rarely went anywhere without at least one of his loyal employees around.

There was an immediate rise in tension as the president entered the room. Barret stiffened, instantly on edge in the presence of the most important man in Shinra. He may have praised Rufus less than a minute ago, but that did not mean that the hatred between them was gone. In turn Rufus looked at Barret in disdain. No, Tifa thought, he was not likely to welcome them with open arms.

Rufus stopped next to the bed. After seeing that Tifa was now awake, he crossed his arms and looked at them. "I thought Cloud would show up to save you all…" he said. He sounded disappointed. "Professor Hojo wanted to check up on Cloud, too."

"What are you going to do to Cloud?" demanded Tifa.

"Sephiroth's alter ego…" muttered Rufus quietly. He shut his eyes and looked at the ground, lost in thought. "Meteor has been summoned… Essentially, it's all but over now. So, there's no need for you now." He opened his eyes. His cold blue gaze met Tifa's. "No," he added, almost sinisterly, "maybe there is an important task for you…"

As if on command, Heidegger walked into the room. He moved with a weighty swagger of self-importance, and had such a large, smug smile his beard had difficulty hiding it. He chuckled as he walked. Rufus seemed to be expecting him, for he did not react when the man entered. When Heidegger spoke it was with such a loud, booming voice that anyone on the corridors beyond would have heard him.

"President! Preparations for the public execution are complete."

Barret's jaw fell open. He snapped round to face Rufus, his face turning red in his growing rage. "Execution!?" he bellowed. "What're ya gonna get by executin' us!?

A wicked smile spread on Rufus's face. He seemed amused by Barret's anger. "You are to be executed for causing this situation," he said plainly. "People are ignorant. They'll feel better as long as someone is punished."

Barret's fists shook with anger. He was almost spitting in rage—saliva flecked his lips as he struggled to find words strong enough to use against the young president. The words escaped him—there were none strong enough to pierce Rufus's arrogant armour. So he stepped back, swallowed most of his anger, and looked at Tifa.

"I take back what little praise I had for this damn jackass!" was all he could say.

Again Rufus smiled. He seemed very amused indeed by this display of sudden aggression. He ran a hand through his blond hair, brushing back the longer lengths that fell in front of his eyes. "Well," he said smoothly, letting his hand fall, "enjoy your last moments together." With that, the Shinra president left, leaving a stunned Tifa and Barret alone in the room with Heidegger.

Once Rufus left the room, Heidegger turned to the two former resistance members. The same wicked smile was on his face. He got a distinct pleasure out of seeing them squirm over their inevitable fate. "I'll tie your arms now," he said as he approached.

* * *

It did not take long to restrain the two of them. Barret attempted to fight back, threatening to take down any soldier who came near him. It took three soldiers to hold him down while the handcuffs were put on, and powerful restraints were tied around his arms to keep them placed firmly behind his back. Tifa did not resist at all. She stood in silence as the soldier locked the cuffs around her wrists. 

Heidegger took charge in leading the two out of the room where Tifa had been resting and down the stairs toward the execution room. Tifa and Barret followed in an almost subdued silence, though they held their heads high in supreme defiance. A single soldier followed close behind, his rifle ready in case there was any resistance.

After descending a few floors the troupe entered the main control room. This was where Heidegger left them, moving away from the group and rejoining Rufus, who had entered just ahead of them. The man followed the president as he went to the front of the room and stopped by a large window that made up the front wall.

As she walked silently around the back of the control room, Tifa turned and glanced out of the window. Beyond the large glass pane she could see an open plain of crystal blue waters. The ocean… Tifa thought quickly. If they were by the ocean, then they were most likely in Junon. Junon was the only sea-faring town she knew of that had a Shinra base. Why were they in Junon and not Midgar, she thought to herself. Surely Rufus would have returned to Midgar, not Junon…

While she was lost in her thoughts, the soldier behind nudged her back with the butt of his rifle. Tifa turned to him defiantly, but could see nothing behind his dark visor. Turning her back on him, she hurried to catch up with Barret.

The soldier led them on until they finally arrived at their destination. As they walked through the large double doors they were hit by the sound of chatter and high-pitched laughter, bright lights and the scent of expensive perfume. A number of chairs had been lined up in the centre of the room. A number of people holding microphones were scattered about, and there were others holding cameras. Tifa looked around in puzzlement. What was going on?

The laughter came again, cutting above the sound of the chatter. Tifa groaned. She recognised that laughter. Only one person could make piercing laughter that high-pitched and ear grating.

Scarlet.

The crowd of journalists parted as Tifa and Barret were led into the room. Sure enough, the Shinra executive was there, smiling and laughing heartily with a couple of the journalists. Scarlet turned. There was a smug smile on her thick, red lips, and her eyes peered at them in disgust through layers of black mascara and eye shadow. Her dress was neatly pressed, her nails delicately painted. She had certainly prepared for the occasion. This was a moment she was going to enjoy.

Scarlet's eyes stopped on Tifa. The smile widened, revealing such perfectly clean teeth that Tifa felt dirty and common. She scowled back at the executive. How much she wanted to wipe that smug, arrogant smile off that old witch's face!

Scarlet looked at Tifa a moment more, before she turned to the array of journalists gathered around her. "Is everyone here?" she said, her loud voice reaching every corner of the room. She gestured to the two handcuffed prisoners. "These are the ones who brought this madness into the world!"

A number of cameras turned and swivelled round to face them. Barret looked left and right, squinting in the bright lights that were cast over them. Staring at the journalists, he said, "The hell are these people?"

"We will be broadcasting your miserable deaths live on national television," Scarlet replied, without a hint of shame. Clearly she did not care for her 'audience' to hear her describe their deaths as miserable.

One of the journalists, dressed very oddly in a tight suit that clung to his bizarrely short and rotund body, stepped up to Scarlet. His unusually small, hunched head made him especially odd-looking. "Scarlet," he said in a slightly high, accented voice, "why a public execution in this day and age?"

Scarlet ran a hand through her slick blonde hair as the cameras revolved to face her. After pausing for a second to create a dramatic effect, she said in a smooth, almost charming voice: "With the chaos resulting from the Meteor reports, we desperately need to rally public support… it's better that we punish somebody, anybody."

"You make me sick…" Tifa spat harshly, glaring at Scarlet. It was almost unbelievable that this woman could be so cold!

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" laughed Scarlet, touching her lips delicately with her fingertips as she winked knowingly at the journalists. "They'll never admit it, but everyone loves this stuff!" Placing one hand on her hourglass hips, she spun on her high red heels and pointed at Tifa. "We'll start with this girl."

Barret raged. "If you've gotta do it---do me first!" he roared furiously. He strained his muscles against the cuffs and restraints on his arms and wrists. They did not budge. If only his gun-arm was free… Then he could shower bullets on this useless excuse for Shinra justice.

The AVALANCHE leader's outburst and furious attempt to break free of his shackles seemed to amuse Scarlet. Her red lips parted into a wide grin as she waved excitedly at the cameras, motioning them to turn and record what the man was doing. "Camera, this way!" she exclaimed as she waved. "Make sure you get this, the audience just eats up tearful goodbyes!"

There was nothing Barret could do as Scarlet led Tifa away. He watched helplessly as Scarlet and a soldier led his friend to a closed door at the far end of the room. At one point Tifa turned her head and looked back at him. Her eyes were ablaze—she hadn't given up yet. Barret was relieved to see her look so confident in the face of death, but it didn't stop him feeling that he was to blame for her being in this situation.

The soldier unlocked the door, and Scarlet ushered Tifa into the room. It was small, only a box room. It contained only a single chair, with strong metal locks on the arms. Hanging down from the ceiling were a number of pipes—a gas chamber.

Tifa stopped and looked up at the pipes. They stopped directly above the chamber, ensuring that the gas, when flowing, would fall directly over the victim locked in the chair. She swallowed nervously. Seeing her pause, Scarlet shoved her hard toward the chair. Tifa staggered, but kept her balance. She spun round, glaring defiantly.

"What are you doing!?" Tifa snapped.

"This is my special gas chamber," explained Scarlet, waving her hand leisurely toward the chair and pipes. She stepped forward until she was almost nose-to-nose with the younger woman. "Take your time," she said, her voice low and sinister, "and enjoy a slow, painful death."

The soldier, previously standing by the chair, came up behind Tifa and unlocked the handcuffs that bound her wrists. Tifa locked gazes with Scarlet. Suddenly Scarlet reached out and pushed her. Tifa staggered backward. Her heel caught the hard edge of the chair and she fell into the chair, her had banging on the metal back.

While she sat there, dazed, Scarlet and the soldier each took her wrists and placed them into the locks on both arms of the chair. They flipped the metal cuffs over and they clicked into place, preventing her from leaving the chair. Tifa looked up to find Scarlet standing over her, leering down at her with her usual haughty smile.

"Stuck up $#&!!" Scarlet hissed, before giving Tifa a harsh slap across her face.

Scarlet and the soldier left the gas chamber, leaving Tifa sitting in a stunned silence. As the soldier passed, something slipped from his pocket and fell to the floor. He did not notice and left the chamber behind Scarlet, pulling the door shut behind him. The automatic lock sealed the door the moment it clicked into place. As she heard the click that signalled the door's locking, Scarlet sighed in satisfaction.

Rubbing her hands together, Scarlet faced the journalists who stood eagerly in front of her. "Well now, the show's about to begin," she announced. She laughed heartily.

All of a sudden the siren sounded, cutting in over the sound of Scarlet's irksome laughter. The emergency lights began to flash, bathing the room in a cloak of red light. Barret, his arms still in chains, looked around wildly, while the journalists stared at Scarlet in bewilderment. Before she could speak, a computerised voice boomed over the siren's wild blaze.

"_Emergency! Emergency! Weapon's approaching! Attention all military personnel: take your positions!"_

One of the journalists jumped and dropped his microphone. "Oh no!" he wailed, quivering with fright. "It's Weapon! Run!" The man turned and darted toward the door, almost falling over his feet in his panic.

The remaining journalists followed suit, dropping their things and fleeing for the exit as fast as they could. The cameramen, taken over by terror, left their camera behind as they tore out of the doors after their cohorts. They did not even take the time to stop the cameras from filming. Only two soldiers and the bizarre-looking journalist remained, his small head turning left and right wildly.

Scarlet, stunned by the suddenness in which the events were occurring, could only stare as the journalists fled. "Hey, hey, all of you!" she shrieked, but her voice was drowned out by the siren. Furiously she stamped her heel on the ground. "Damn! Why now?" she cursed. When she looked up she saw that the bizarre journalist stood in front of her, his unusually large microphone ready in his hand.

"How does it feel now, Scarlet?" he asked her. He leaned forward, holding his microphone close to Scarlet's face.

Scarlet smiled an approval. "Hmm, so you didn't run?" she asked. "I'm impressed." She took a deep breath, and the man leaned in closer. "How do I feel? Right now……"

With the siren roaring overhead, Scarlet was unable to hear the betraying hiss of gas as it seeped out of the top of the man's microphone. As she spoke she swooned, dizziness and lethargy suddenly overcoming her. She tried to look at the man, but he was blurred and fading in her sight. Then her eyes closed, and she saw no more.

Barret stared as Scarlet suddenly collapsed to the press room floor. At first he thought she was dead. Then he saw her chest rise and fall—she was fast asleep. "Huh!? Sleeping gas?" he said, shaking his head. He looked at the journalist.

The journalist was looking back at him. Barret stared intently at his face. There was something familiar about him—what it was, he couldn't be sure. Suddenly the man spun around, grabbing the suit and pulling it away from him in a single movement. The suit fluttered to the floor. In the journalist's place was a large round Mog, with a mechanical cat sitting on top of its head, looking at Barret through slender slit eyes and a cheerful, happy smile. Cait Sith.

"Weirdo!!"

Cait turned. Until that moment, the two soldiers guarding the door had been watching the events unfold in disbelief. They had seen Scarlet fall but did not move, uncertain as to what they should do. But as they saw Cait reveal himself they jumped up and ran toward him, their rifles ready.

Instantly Cait sprung into action. Guiding the Mog forward, he charged at full speed at the advancing soldiers. The nearest soldier skidded to a stop. He hesitated, and that was his fatal mistake. Cait barrelled forward, using the Mog's speed and weight to carry him forward. He crashed into the soldier, who cried out in surprise and pain as the Mog trampled over him. Standing on the soldier's stomach, the Mog brought its huge fists down on his head. The Shinra soldier gave a stifled groan before his head fell back. The rifle slipped from his hands.

With the first soldier down, Cait turned his attention on the second one. The next soldier was a few metres behind the first, kneeling on the ground as he took aim at the cat. Cait waved his arms frantically before darting to one side, just as the soldier fired. His quick reflexes allowed Cait to dodge the bullet, leaving it to skim the top of the Mog's head. The Mog jumped up and down madly, seemingly in pain.

While the soldier reloaded his rifle, he scanned the room for the cat. There was his fallen companion, Scarlet, the hysterical Mog, and the stunned prisoner. There was no sign of the troublesome cat anywhere. Where had he gone? He walked cautiously forward, continuing to scan the room.

A dark shadow fell from above and landed on his helmet. The soldier began to look up when something hard and heavy smashed onto his helmet. The soldier stiffened and dropped his rifle. The heavy object was smashed again onto his helmet and he fell to his knees. One more whack and the soldier tumbled forward to the ground. Cait jumped off the soldier's shoulders as he fell, spinning his microphone—actually his megaphone in disguise—in his hand. The cat looked at Barret and smiled.

Barret could only stare in wonder. Words escaped him—which, for Barret, was quite a first. Of all the people to rescue him, he had never thought it would be this mechanical feline. He tried to speak, but all he could do was open and close his mouth voicelessly. As he stood there, Cait climbed back onto his Mog and calmed it down before bounding over to stand behind Barret

"I'm here to help!" said the cat. Leaning over, he used his sharp claws to unlock Barret's handcuffs and restraints. The chains fell to the floor.

Barret found his words at last. "Why you……? Ain't you part of Shinra?"

Cait scratched his head nervously. "Let's just say I'm against capital punishment. Besides…" he added, nodding his head toward the sleeping Scarlet, "I hate this broad. Come on, we gotta help Tifa. I'll keep watch at the entrance."

While Cait hopped over to the entrance, Barret ran quickly to the gas chamber doors, nearly running over Scarlet as she lay sprawled on the press room floor. Barret grabbed the door handle and pulled on it. To his surprise the door did not budge, nor did it even rattle. He pulled again, harder, but still nothing. He tugged hard and shook the handle. Nothing.

"It won't open!"

* * *

**Emerald:** I've just noticed recently that I'm including a lot of original actions when the characters are speaking, along with the actions that they do in the game. In fact, I'm adding a lot more original stuff in these days. Like Tifa looking out of the window as they pass the control room… do you all think this is okay? I mostly did it to fill space, but it's become natural to think what else the character would do, you know? Is this all right, do you think? Oh, and sorry for the wait for this chapter. I've been doing a lot of art for Dragonlance Nexus recently. 


	3. Part Ten: Chapter 02

**Final Fantasy VII: The Story 3****rd**** Instalment**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Two**

"It's Weapon."

"There have been so many attacks lately. Can we handle it?"

"I believe so. Your orders?"

Rufus turned his gaze to look through the giant glass wall that was the front of Junon Shinra HQ. Beyond the wall was the sea, calm and tranquil, its colour tinted to reflect the deep orange hue that had taken over the sky since Meteor's summoning. The ocean waters seemed still with barely a ripple, giving no trace at all of Weapon's presence. But appearances were deceiving. Weapon was beneath the surface, Rufus knew. A smile tugged at his lips as he looked upon the water.

"No need to ask," was all he said.

Beside him, Heidegger grinned. "We'll give it a shot from our big cannon," he said, and turned to face the three sailors who were standing nervously behind him. As he turned the sailors stood at attention, awaiting their orders. "Open cannon doors!" Heidegger roared, making them jump. "Activate cannon. Target: Weapon!!"

At his command the sailors nodded and ran from the control room, bellowing out the orders to all those who could hear. The words spread quickly all through the room and the rest of the building. Pretty soon the main headquarters was alive with bustle and activity as employees typed furiously into their consoles, shouting commands and confirming actions as they completed them. Satisfied everything was in order, Heidegger turned back to Rufus, who was watching the events through the window.

Outside, Junon was preparing for the imminent attack. The upper town had been evacuated, leaving only Shinra soldiers who ran around preparing the city's defences. Metal plates as thick as trees rose in front of the buildings on the road facing the docks. Giant hooks held the plates in place, securing the buildings against any heavy attack. This defence would hopefully hold against Weapon.

A segment of the main road dipped and was pulled back to slide underneath one of the buildings. The resulting gap contained a hidden cannon, another one of the city's defences, which rose up from beneath to stand in its place. The cannon was pushed to its full height, settling over the road. The long metal barrel swivelled and twisted this way and that before finally settling on the ocean ahead.

The cannon seemed just a mere toy when compared to Junon's main weapon. Another cannon, it was built into the front of the Shinra HQ and made up the majority of Junon's upper levels, almost matching it in size. The powerful steel pistons that held the cannon up heaved and groaned as they strained to push the cannon up and turn so that it faced the ocean. Switches that lined the cannon's side flicked down, marking the cannon as active and ready for battle. The two giant pistons that held up the barrel groaned and released gusts of piping hot steam into the air as they lowered the colossus barrel so that it pointed into the waters ahead.

Junon was ready for battle.

"Preparations complete!" a sailor announced, running to Heidegger.

The man nodded. He did not turn but stood alongside Rufus, glancing at the young president's face to see what his orders were. Rufus's eyes were fixed on the ocean, his lips set in a thin line. A slight nod was all he gave. Heidegger raised his arm. "The cannon… Fire---!!" he shouted, and brought down his arm as the signal to fire.

* * *

The cannon fired. The shock caused the cannon to jerk backward so violently it made the entire upper section of Junon shake as though an earthquake had gone off beneath. Black smoke and red flame poured from the cannon's mouth. 

The projectile, burning hot and imbued with the power of mako energy, shot rapidly through the air toward the ocean. It moved swiftly, at a steady downward angle, not once wavering or faltering from its course. A long tail of pure mako, so hot it burned white, blazed behind it, leaving a sparkling trail in its wake.

The projectile headed far into the horizon before finally hitting the water.

A loud explosion shook the ocean. A shockwave, causing by the crushing impact of the projectile, spread out across the waters. It was followed just seconds later by a second shockwave, this one in the water itself, spreading out from the point of impact and deep into the ocean. The waters it left behind were flat, without any ripple or swell. It was as though the entire ocean had been flattened where the projectile had hit. After a few tense moments the waters eased, and life returned to it, waves rippling gently beneath the scorched surface.

In the Junon control room it was as though time had come to a stop. All movement ceased as everyone's attention turned to the sea. The computers were silent, their workers abandoning their work to look up and stare through the window. Rufus and Heidegger stood side by side in silence, not saying a word to one another but simply gazing at the ocean before them.

On Junon docks, all was the same. The Shinra soldiers stationed to the docks had ceased all movement. They did not twitch nor turn. They barely even breathed, so focused were they on looking ahead. More than a hundred pairs of eyes stared hard at the ocean waters, waiting for some sign of Weapon's presence. But the ocean remained still, its waters silent and unrevealing.

After what seemed like hours but was only a few seconds tense silence, Rufus looked to Heidegger. "Did we get 'em?" he asked, his voice loud in the eerie silence.

Slowly and unsurely, Heidegger nodded. "Seems so…" he whispered. He was about to breathe a sigh of relief when the sirens sounded, so suddenly and so loudly that it made him and everyone else in the control room jump out of their skins. The workers leaped back to their computers, throwing on headsets and typing furiously.

"_Weapon approaching!"_ the alarm announced.

"Speed, 50 knots!" called one of the sailors from his console.

"It's heading right toward us!" shouted another.

"It can't be!" said Heidegger, shaking his large head in disbelief. "We hit it dead on!"

Rufus said nothing. When the siren sounded he had turned his attention back to the window, looking out at the ocean before him. He knew Heidegger was wrong. It could be that Weapon had survived the blast from the mako cannon. Though he knew very little about Weapon and what it was, he knew enough to know that it was a beast that would not be destroyed easily. Even as he looked at the ocean now, he could see the far-off ripples that were the telling signs of something large moving beneath the surface. He turned to Heidegger. "How about the cannon?" he asked.

"It'll take time to reload," said Heidegger reproachfully.

"Then use regular firepower in the meantime!" Rufus commanded irritably, turning back to the window.

Heidegger nodded. "Yes sir!" He spun to face the soldiers and sailors who had gathered behind him. "Open all artillery doors!" he bellowed, his voice booming even over the deafening roar of the siren. "Target: Weapon! Don't let it land!"

* * *

Beneath the ocean's surface Weapon swam, its gargantuan body barely visible through the rippling water. The ocean's waters swelled above it like a protective mound, and the lash of its tail created a long line of bubbling white froth that wavered and flickered in its wake. 

With a sudden surge Weapon rose and broke the surface. Its appearance caused the mound of water flowing over its body to split open, sending showers of large and small water droplets to fall through the air and splash back into the sea. Fins the size of a ship's sails rose and stretched up. Sunlight fell on blue-purple skin that was almost metallic in appearance. The large body of Weapon settled heavily on the water and continued to swim toward Junon.

Seeing Weapon rise, the commanders on Junon's docks gave the order for the cannons to fire. The soldiers standing on the docks looked up as the cannons above them opened fire. The firings of the cannons made the ground shake beneath their feet and their helmets rattle on their heads. Three rows of cannons either side of the main opened fire upon the approaching Weapon. Pretty soon the town was filled with the sight of fire and the deafening roar of the cannons. But each soldier held his ground, holding fast to their weapons and awaiting their orders.

The cannon-fire appeared to be doing little damage. Weapon continued to approach, even as the red-hot cannon pellets struck its body. The majority of the pellets struck the water around Weapon, hitting around it, in front of it, and even behind it. The pellets made the water a churning mass of bubbles and spray, which only served to shield Weapon further from their attack. Those that did hit their target did nothing to slow it down, exploding on its surface and barely even scratching it. Instead it seemed to swim faster, preparing to make its final approach.

Rufus stared in open-mouthed astonishment as he saw Weapon break through the cannon-fire and continue to advance. Even with all Junon's immense firepower raining down on it, the beast—if that's what it truly was—was still heading toward them. The Shinra president did not wait to marvel at this, for he was already running from the control room, with Heidegger running close behind him. Only the Shinra employees remained, shouting out even as their commanders fled the chamber.

"Speed, 70 knots!" one sailor called. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

"Weapon!! Closing in!!" shouted another.

"No good!!" cried a last one, pointing to the window. "It's attacking!!"

* * *

The cannons of the upper levels continued to fire. At the forefront of Junon's defences, a long line of soldiers stood on the main road, anxiously waiting for the signal to fire. One by one they looked to their commander. The commander, seeing the approaching wall of water that was Weapon's shield, raised his arm and barked out that the soldiers prepare to fire. At once the soldiers sank to their knees, raising the heavy guns and resting them on their shoulders. 

The commander waited until the last soldier heard the order and was ready to fire, before shouting out another command. The soldiers then opened fire, firing at will.

The bullets from the bazookas joined the endless volley of cannon-fire, whistling in the air before exploding against the wall of water that bubbled around Weapon as it swam forward. It was a futile effort, for the bullets had as little effect as the more powerful cannon-fire that detonated on Weapon's diamond-hard surface.

Despite the shower of bullets and flame, Weapon continued to surge effortlessly through the water. Only its back and its raised fins were visible through the frothing waters, for it had ducked its head beneath the surface to protect itself against the cannon-fire.

As Weapon drew closer and closer, it became clear to the attacking soldiers that Weapon was not going to slow down or stop, but ram into Junon with the intention of crushing the cannons and stopping the assault.

The soldiers waiting on the lower levels, after seeing that Weapon was not going to be stopped, dropped their weapons and fled from the shore. One young soldier was too afraid to run with his comrades and simply dropped to the ground, hiding his face in the dirt as Weapon's shadow loomed over him.

Weapon rose up and slammed into the town. The impact caused the whole town to shake and tremble beneath its ginormous bulk. A giant wave of water fell onto the lower levels, filling the streets with water that swept through the town at an alarming rate. Spray fell over the upper levels and onto the soldiers, who were on their knees and trying to keep from being swept off the road and into the ocean below as the town trembled around them. All they could see before them was Weapon's great back as the beast, after slamming into the town, curled its body up and rolled back under the ocean. The last they saw of the beast was its main fin and tail in the air, the tail swaying as it sank beneath the water and out of sight.

* * *

**Emerald:** Holy-moley-on-a-sour-dough-roley! An update! Yes, I have been seriously slacking in recent months. I will have to work hard if I am going to achieve my aim to complete this fic this year. I think the slacking is due to the fact that this part of the game is not one of my favourites, and requires me to do a lot of work converting FMV to written form and still making it interesting. Not to mention: no Cloud. Me like Cloud. Cloud good. Me want Cloud back. NOWZ. So, while I'm still in the writing mood, I'm gonna begin the next chapter. 

Apologies for the length of this chapter. I've been flicking through my notepad with the script in it and judging how long the next few chapters should be. See? I plan. X3

And to all those who thought I'd abandoned it: XP


	4. Part Ten: Chapter 03

**Final Fantasy VII: The Story [3****rd**** Instalment**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Three**

As the whole of Junon shook as Weapon crashed into the town, Tifa Lockheart was still locked up inside the gas chamber. Chained by her wrists to the metal chair and unable to move, she had no idea what was going on outside. She heard the sirens and the faint sound of gun and cannon fire, but whether Junon was winning or losing, she could not tell. Twisting her body round, Tifa turned to the door, about to shout and demand some answers, but stopped as she heard a hissing sound behind her. She turned back. The hissing came from the large pipes around her. As she realised this, she smelt the bitter, deadly scent of gas.

"Gas!!" Tifa squirmed in her chair, striving to pull her wrists free of the locks that bound her. She could barely move her arms. "Barret, help!!" she called.

Barret's muffled voice came through the metal door. "Hold your breath!" he told her. "Hold on as long as you can!"

Tifa turned her head away from the pipes. Taking a deep, deep breath, taking in as much free oxygen as she could get before the gas consumed it, she held it deep within her lungs. She could feel the gas blowing hotly across her face, surrounding her, choking her. It would not be too long before the whole chamber was filled with the noxious gas. Tifa twisted her head this way and that and kicked out, her lungs already beginning to burn with the need for more air. "Come on!" she shouted, her feet thudding against the bottom of the chair. "I can't hold on forever!"

Outside, Barret continued to pull on the door. His muscles were burning. Sweat caked his arms and face, and the veins on his neck and arms had risen to the surface. He grunted and groaned with the effort, pulling in every ounce of strength he had to pry open the door and rescue Tifa from her horrible fate. He lodged his gun-arm into the gap between the door and the handle and pulled with all his might.

The door refused to open.

Barret sagged and released the door, his muscles unable to pull anymore. The door would not budge, nor was it giving any signs of it ever moving. Barret snarled angrily and found enough energy to give the door a harsh punch with his good hand—an effort that jarred the muscles of his hand and sent painful shivers up his left arm.

"Shi-!" Barret cursed, more at the door than at his pained hand. He turned away from the door and ran to Cait, who was waiting in the middle of the room, watching him with a thoughtful expression on his furry face. Barret gestured at the door to the gas chamber. "The gas room's probably locked from a different room!"

Cait nodded absently, as though he wasn't really listening but making up his mind about something. Sensing that Barret was rapidly growing irate, the cat quickly sat up straight and nodded confidently. "Hmm, we gotta go with a different plan," he said. He turned the Mog around to face the other door—the one leading outside. "Let's get out of this room first," he said.

Barret eyed the cat suspiciously. Despite Cait's apparent helpfulness, the former AVALANCHE leader could not trust him completely just yet. After a split second's careful thought, Barret turned back to the gas chamber and shouted: "Tifa! I'll help you, I promise!" He then turned back to Cait, who was already moving and bouncing away on his Mog toward the other doors. Barret hesitated, and then ran after him.

Barret caught up to Cait just as the cat was about to push on the double doors. They swung open with ease. Cait bounded through and paused in the corridor beyond, waiting for Barret to catch up.

The instant Barret passed through the double doors and entered the corridor, the doors suddenly hummed with life and swung shut. Barret spun around in time to hear a loud click that was the doors locking shut. Running back to the doors, Barret took hold of the handles and pulled with all his strength. But these, like the door to the gas chamber, were locked tight and refused to budge even a millimetre.

"No! They locked this too!" Barret cried, glaring at Cait accusingly over his shoulder.

From the other side of the door, the two heard a familiar, cackling laugh.

"Fools!" they heard Scarlet say. "Now you can't save the girl!

Barret stepped away from the door. Clenching his fist tightly, he slammed it hard against the metal. The sound that came from the blow reverberated down the corridor. Above it was the sound of Scarlet's hideous laughter, mocking and revelling in what she deemed her greatest triumph. There was nothing Barret could do to stop the laughter, or to stop Tifa from suffering the torment of her execution.

"Goddammit……!!" the man cursed fiercely. How he longed to break through these doors and wring Scarlet's skinny neck; watching her eyes go dead as he choked the life out of her. Barret could not forgive himself. It should be him locked in the gas chamber, not Tifa! How could he have let this happen to her? How could Cloud have left them like this—in Shinra's grasp without a hope of saving themselves?

Barret's angry musings were interrupted when he heard Cait's softly spoken words coming from behind him. "Okay, okay," the cat was saying quietly, so no one on the other side of the door could hear him, "time for Plan B. Let's run to the airport!"

Barret came away from the door and looked at Cait in astonishment. "Why the airport?" he demanded angrily. "An' leave Tifa there?" He jabbed his gun-arm at the locked door, where Scarlet's crowing laughter could still be heard over the siren.

Cait waved a furry paw dismissively, as though the fact was not important to him. "Trust me, trust me," he said with a grin. "We gotta take a chance." Without waiting for Barret's consent, the cat turned and began to hop quickly along the corridor.

Barret watched the cat closely, once again trying to decide if the cat was being sincere or whether there was some sinister, devious side to his suggestion. Cait was the one, after all, who had arranged the kidnap and holding of his adopted daughter, Marlene. Cait was the one who had stolen the Keystone from them all those weeks ago and gave it to the Shinra. He was a spy and a traitor. No matter what the cat did to try to repent what he did, he was still an employee of Shinra and thus an enemy.

Then an image of Tifa flashed through his mind. In his mind's eye he saw, locked inside the gas chamber and unable to get out. Tifa was coughing and choking, dying so horribly slowly as she was forced to breathe the toxic gas that was consuming her. She was on her knees, clawing at the door with trembling hands. She was crying. Her eyes were red and swollen, bulging out of her head as she clawed for air. Those swollen eyes turned to Barret, pleading desperately for him to save her.

That image was enough to make Barret's mind up. He left the door and began to run down the corridor after Cait. His pace picked up with each step until he was charging down the corridor, his boots thudding loudly on the concrete floor. He overtook Cait, leaving him behind as he sought to make his way out of this building and reach the airport. He didn't know what plan Cait had in mind, but if there was a chance that it could save Tifa then it was worth a shot.

The two left the Shinra building and came out on the main road beside the dock. The soldiers that had patrolled the streets had now scattered. The only people still on the road was a cameraman and a young reporter, who braved the gunfire and splashing water to film a report on Weapon's attack. Barret paid no attention to her, though the back of his mind said she looked somewhat familiar.

Barret came to a stop and looked up at the orange-red sky that now covered the Planet. Meteor hung like a huge blemish in the sky, forever a reminder of what was to come. For a moment Barret wondered if there was a way to destroy it—to stop what Sephiroth had created. He shook his head. This was no time to be thinking of that! He had to save Tifa. He turned his head away from the sky and was about to run off, when he noticed that the young reporter was standing right in front of him.

"I know you're in a hurry!" said the girl in a high, equally familiar voice. "But, please if I could have a word……"

Barret raised his fists threateningly. "Shu'up!" he snapped. "I'm in a hurry!"

_Kiiiiin…_

At his words the girl jumped back in fright, almost dropping her microphone. She quickly caught it and held it close to her chest, glaring at Barret. "Don't make so much noise," she scolded Barret sternly. "……It's me, ME! Yuffie!" Pulling away part of her disguise, she grinned at Barret.

Barret finally recognised the young ninja. "The hell you doin' here!?" he demanded.

Before Yuffie could answer, a loud explosion shook the town. The road shook beneath them, causing Barret, Cait and Yuffie to totter and stumble. Cait rolled off the back of his Mog, catching hold of the Mog's back and holding on as the shaking continued. Yuffie's ninja skills allowed her to quickly regain her balance, and she turned to look at the ocean.

More soldiers stopped to look as they saw Weapon begin to rise out of the water. The monstrous form of Weapon rose out of the ocean, water slicking over its blue-purple body as it rose slowly and steadily. Its head rose, small in comparison to the rest of its body, but no one paid any attention to that. A long upturned triangle of flesh or metal shielded the lower half of Weapon's face. Two large yellow eyes with cat-like pupils stared menacingly on Junon. These ominous eyes gazed intently over the town, taking in every sight and locating the vital spots.

Yuffie turned away from the docks. Her face was pale. "I'll explain later!" she said, her voice trembling. "Now we gotta get to the airport!" Throwing down her microphone to the ground, she began to strip off her reporter's guise and return to her true form. Barret began to wonder what the ninja had done with her shuriken, when he saw that it was strapped to her leg. Yuffie had disassembled the razor ring when donning her disguise, keeping the pieces close to her body should she have need of them. Now she worked to put the pieces back together even as she followed Barret and Cait as they ran down the road toward the airport.

The group were just starting to think that they would reach the airport without incident when they ran into a trio of soldiers. The soldiers were trying unsuccessfully to reassemble one of the smaller attack units that had been damaged when Weapon crashed into the town. The machine, called Death Machine, was smoking heavily and was clearly beyond repair.

One of the soldiers looked up as the three companions approached. He recognised them instantly and called to his comrades, who came away from the Death Machine and picked up their rifles. They opened fire upon the three.

The three came to a stop, raising their arms to shield themselves as the bullets flew past them. The soldiers were so nervous as a result of Weapon's assault that they could not aim straight, and as such were unable to hit the three directly. But the bullets whizzed past as such an alarming rate that they were just as dangerous.

The last piece of the razor ring clicked back into place. After spotting a gap in the flurry of bullets, the ninja flung her shuriken away from her. The shuriken zipped through the air in a straight line toward the nearest of the soldiers. It struck the soldier's rifle, jarring it from his hands where it clattered to the floor. The shuriken then twisted around and caught the second soldier in the side of his helmet, stunning him. The weapon then spun and made its way back to Yuffie, who caught it.

Barret was in no mood for nonsense. Raising his gun-arm, he took aim not at the soldiers but at the damaged Death Machine that was smoking behind them. He let loose a continuous flood of bullets. The Death Machine shuddered as the bullets struck. When Barret stopped the machine laid still, electricity crackling over its body.

The robot juddered and began to stand. With each movement there came the grate of metal on metal, and sparks flew from its damaged interior. It was so alive with electricity that Yuffie could feel the hair on her neck standing on end. But the soldiers, so preoccupied with rearming their weapons, did not notice as the robot lumbered up behind them.

"Hey, look behind you, bozos!" called Yuffie.

One of the soldiers turned. At the sight of the malfunctioning robot looming over him, he gave a petrified cry and dropped his weapon to the ground. Pushing past his two comrades he fled from it, running past Barret and Cait in the process. The other two soldiers then turned and followed suit, screaming in terror as the broken robot came to a stop, gave another final shudder, and then exploded where it stood.

Barret and his two companions once more raised their arms to shield themselves as hot flames and smouldering robot parts were sent flying through the air. The road became clogged with smoke. The flames were hot against their skin, the smoke choking their every breath. But the wind soon blew the smoke and flames clear and the three ran on, leaping over the charred remains of the Death Machine as they continued on their way.

The rest of the route to the airport was an easy one. None of the soldiers left on the road dared to oppose them. Most of them were too busy doing other things to take any notice of the escapees. Those who did notice were too scared to do anything to stop them. A single look into Barret's angry eyes and Yuffie and Cait's fierce expressions were enough to send them fleeing back to their commanders.

They stormed the building that led to the airport. The few soldiers left guarding the building pressed themselves against the walls in fear as the three charged in, weapons drawn, with Barret yelling commands that they had better not interfere. No one did, and the three quickly headed for the airfield.

Cait led the way over to the cargo lift. Motioning for Barret and Yuffie to hurry up and get on, he stamped his foot down on the 'On' button. The lift shuddered and began to rise, carrying the three up to the top level where the airships were docked. When the lift finally came to a stop the three jumped off and ran across the platform.

A large airship was docked at the far end of the airport. It was the same airship that Rufus and his company had used to travel to the far northern caves and bring them all back to Junon. Barret was surprised to see that there were no guards surrounding the airship. He came to a stop at the foot of the great airship and looked around. After seeing that there were no other paths to take, he turned to Cait.

"Yo! You sure this is the right way?" he asked. "It's a dead end!"

To Barret's horror, he saw Cait grinning sheepishly and scratching his head. "Uh oh," the cat said meekly, whiskers twitching. "Did I make a wrong turn?"

"You damn cat……!" Barret raged, shaking his fist angrily. "What the hell're we gonna do now? They'll all be comin' soon!"

They were coming sooner than Barret expected. As he spoke he heard the sound of soldiers storming the lower levels of the airfield. He heard a Shinra commander bark an order and the lift suddenly began to descend, ready to bring up soldiers to apprehend the escapees. Barret turned his back on Cait and Yuffie and began to adjust some of the mechanics of his metal gun-arm. The chainsaw attachment began to whir rapidly, until it was a blur of frenzied motion. Barret glanced back at Cait.

"Yo, better watch my back till the end… partner!"

* * *

Tifa, meanwhile, was struggling desperately to free her arms from the chair that bound her. She could not hold her breath for much longer. Her lungs burned intensely in their need for air. The gas spilling from the pipes was rapidly filling up the room, consuming every last ounce of oxygen there was. Tifa quickly realised that she could not wait for Barret to save her. If she did not do something to save herself, then she would die in this horrid gas chamber. 

Hurriedly Tifa looked around, trying to find something that she could use to free herself, or at least stop the gas that blew around her. There were two large glowing buttons in the room, but she had no idea what they did or if they could help her. One must stop the gas, she knew, but it did not matter for she would need her arms free to reach them. Tifa looked at the rest of the room, scanning the walls and the floor.

Her salvation lay just a couple of feet from her, lying on the floor near the base of the chair. Before leaving the gas chamber, the soldier guarding her had dropped a key onto the floor. Whether the key would unlock the chains binding her wrists Tifa couldn't say, but it was her only hope.

Tifa stretched out a foot, hoping to pull the key toward her. She could not quite reach it, so she slid off the chair and stretched as far as her fettered arms would allow her. This time she reached it, and, pressing her foot down hard to make sure the key would not slide free, she drew the key toward her.

Since she could not use her arms to pick up the key from the floor, Tifa sat back in her chair, positioned her feet around both sides of the key, and attempted to lift it up with her feet. After a few unsuccessful attempts she managed it, holding the key precariously between the sides of her boots. Bending her knees Tifa lifted her feet up to her face and caught the key in her teeth.

Her lungs felt ready to explode. Tifa manoeuvred the key in her mouth until the jagged edges pointed down, and then she lowered her head to the first lock binding her left wrist. She twisted her head and the key turned in the lock, and then the lock clicked open. Tifa sat up and wrenched her hand free. Taking up the key in her hand she quickly unlocked her other hand, and then thankfully climbed out of the chair.

Tifa placed her hands over her mouth. She exhaled slowly, releasing the pent up air that had clogged her lungs. Cautiously she breathed in, trying to filter the gas through her gloves and take in only precious air. There was little left and she nearly coughed. She swallowed what air she was able to take and then looked about for a way to stop the gas from flowing. Her eyes fell once more on the two large glowing switches—the one by the door and the one near the pipes.

"Which button stops the gas…?" she asked herself, her voice muffled and faint through her leather gloves. Knowing she had no time to wonder, she went to one of the switches and pressed it. There was a faint hiss and the gas stopped flowing, much to Tifa's relief. Hopefully soon the gas would disperse, but she was still locked in the chamber. Tifa went to the door and pulled on the handle. "Open it---……"

The door refused to budge. Tifa sagged, weakening from the lack of air. She was just about ready to give up and let the gas take her when the room suddenly shook violently, causing her to almost fall.

* * *

Weapon continued to stare at Junon, glaring at the town through yellow eyes filled with hatred and contempt. The large monster finally chose its target. It lowered the large shield that masked the lower half of its face, revealing a large gaping mouth that was not filled with teeth but large, jagged bits of metallic flesh. Weapon lifted its head clear of the shield, its frightening mouth opened wide, and turned it on Junon. 

A glow began to form deep within Weapon's jaws. The light was faint at first but rapidly growing brighter, filling Weapon's entire mouth, glowing like a beacon in the middle of the ocean. The monster narrowed its eyes and drew back its head as the blaze grew brighter still, and becoming so fiercely hot that the air around it began to waver and ripple like the waters it surrounded.

When Weapon was ready it thrust its head forward, and a narrow beam of blue light fired from the monster's open mouth. The blast was so powerful even Weapon struggled to control it; its head shook as it fought to keep the beam under control and on target. The energy beam fell upon the base of Junon's main control tower, cutting a long, jagged gash through the thick metal and leaving a gaping hole in the side of the tower. Thankfully for the town the beam did not burn any further than that, but it left that part of the tower vulnerable to another strike.

Weapon was preparing another strike. Its head tilted as it took aim, stretching its monstrous maw wide. The inside of its mouth began to glow brightly once again, so bright even Weapon had to narrow its eyes to protect it from the light. Weapon drew its body back, preparing for the blow.

Weapon was just about to fire again when the mako cannon suddenly fired and hit the monster right in the middle of its hideous face. The monster was forced backward, smoke and flames engulfing the upper half of its body and shards of broken flesh falling to the water. Its two large fins fell limp at its side as Weapon began to tumble over, sinking headfirst into the safety of the ocean waters. From there it disappeared beneath the surface, either horribly wounded or dead.

* * *

Gas seeped swiftly out of the chamber, escaping through the yawning hole burned in the side of the wall made by Weapon's attack. As the gas escaped it was replaced by the sweet taste of fresh ocean air. Even though the air was thick with the scent of oil and burning metal, Tifa gulped it down, relieved as she felt the imploding pain in her lungs slowly cease. 

As the smoke began to clear, Tifa looked up at the far wall. Weapon's attack had created a long gash in the side of the tower, cutting across the gas chamber where she was being held. The bottom of the gash, smouldering with melted metal, lay just a few feet higher than Tifa. The metal around the gash had folded inward, within easy reach of her. Tifa was just about to go up to it when she heard Scarlet's scared but angry voice screeching at her through the door.

"What d'you do?" she heard the woman shout. Tifa heard Scarlet pound on the door, shrieking in absolute rage as she realised that it would not open. "Hey! Open it!"

Tifa turned to the door and put her hands on the hips. "First you lock me in this weird place," she said in annoyance, "and now you're telling me to come out? Make up your mind!"

Deciding that she was not going to wait around for Scarlet and her cronies to open the door, Tifa hurried over to the bottom of the gash and climbed up onto the metal. The metal was already beginning to cool and was easy to hold onto, and Tifa pulled herself easily up out of the chamber and onto the exterior of the tower.

Wind gushed past her, blowing her hair in all directions. Tifa slid down onto a jutting out ridge and made her way slowly across the side of the tower. She took care not to look down—not because she was scared, but because she did not want the height to distract her from the task at hand.

She reached the edge of the ridge. The only way to go now was down. Tifa sank to her knees and turned to face the wall. Carefully she pushed herself off, sliding below the ridge and onto the curved wall of the tower. The wall was rough enough for her to hold onto and she pressed her leather gloves and boots firmly against the surface to stop her from sliding off and falling to a painful death on the town far below her. After pausing regain her composure, she took a breath and began her descent.

Tifa was about halfway down the wall when she heard a shout from above. Looking up, she saw Scarlet standing on the edge of the gash leading into the gas chamber. She was screaming in rage and pointing at Tifa. Two soldiers came out of the chamber behind her and began to scramble over the ridge.

Tifa put her head down and began to climb down faster. She kept her gaze fixed on the wall, determined not to let either the height or the advancing soldiers stop her from making her escape.

Tifa reached the end of the wall, which joined onto the heavy machinery that held the giant mako cannon in place. The fighter leapt the last few feet and landed on the machine, which hummed beneath her feet. She did not stop and began to run away from the wall, scrambling over the rises and falls, jumping over the joints and pipes, heading for the barrel. When she reached the barrel she leapt onto it, almost losing her balance on its smooth surface.

Tifa finally came to a stop at the far end of the cannon's shaft. She realised her mistake instantly. By coming down the cannon's shaft, she had left herself with nowhere else left to run. Behind her was a sure path right back into a Shinra dungeon, or worse, another execution chamber. Ahead of her was the end of the shaft and a long drop into the raging ocean below. Tifa took a step back away from the edge, preparing to turn and attempt to make a break for it, when she heard Scarlet's insufferable voice coming from behind her.

"Our little game of hide and seek ends here."

* * *

**Emerald:** Another new chapter. Yay! This chapter was going to go on longer, but the chapter was getting close to 8,000 words so I decided to split it off here and make two chapters instead of one. I'm currently still working on finishing off the next chapter. It's at that stage where there's a lot of speaking and not a lot for me to work with, and I don't like how Tifa is turning out, and I just wanna get it done. So I need to take a quick break to refuel my energy and then work on writing that last 1,000 words to get it done. So hopefully by tomorrow or later today, it shall be done! And you shall have two new chapters to play with. X3 


	5. Part Ten: Chapter 04

**Final Fantasy VII: The Story [3****rd**** Instalment**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Four**

Slowly Tifa turned, sighing heavily as she spotted Scarlet walking up the shaft. The woman had her hands on her hips and walked with a definite swagger, hips swaying as she walked up the shaft toward Tifa. Her expression was a smug one, lips pressed together in a thin, wide smile, eyes glazed in the moment of glory. And she had a right to be smug, for Tifa had nowhere else left to run. The two soldiers walked up a few feet behind Scarlet, ready to catch Tifa if she tried to run.

Scarlet stopped in front of Tifa. The woman was so close Tifa could smell her perfume. A nice fragrance, she thought. Shame it was on such an evil witch.

Scarlet flicked her hair out of her eyes. "The execution may have been unsuccessful," she began, her voice smooth and callous, "but your death by falling from here and crashing into the water below might still be pretty exciting."

She stopped when she saw that Tifa was not listening. The younger woman was wiping her boot against the back of her leg, her arms behind her back, not looking at Scarlet, making a show of the fact that she was not paying attention. Scarlet's face twitched. Walking up to Tifa, she slapped her hard across the face. Tifa staggered and nearly lost her balance, holding her cheek in her hand.

"Stuck up to the end!" hissed Scarlet.

Tifa looked down at her hand. Four specks of blood stained her fingers where Scarlet's long, painted nails had cut through the skin. Tifa looked up, eyes blazing.

"Quit slapping me! You old wench!!!"

Tifa stood straight and brought her hand up, striking Scarlet across her face. She did not draw blood, but she slapped hard enough to make Scarlet fall back. Scarlet brought her hand, trembling, to her face. She winced at the soreness of the skin, and her lips turned down into a fierce scowl. Raising her fist she returned the slap.

This time Tifa was ready for her. She did not defend herself but allowed Scarlet's hand to strike her face, making her cheek sting painfully. Tifa did not stagger and kept her balance. The moment Scarlet's hand left her face Tifa caught hold of it with her left hand, tugging Scarlet toward her. With her right hand she then slapped Scarlet repeatedly, literally wiping the smirk from her face. After the third strike Tifa let go and Scarlet fell onto the floor, her hair over her face, her cheek red and sore.

"God! I can't stand it," wailed Scarlet, sobbing. She spent a few moments pushing her hair away from her face, trying to sort it orderly behind her head. After regaining her composure and trying to restore a little of her glamour, she stood up and faced the anxious soldiers behind her. "Take her away," she ordered. As the soldiers came forward, Scarlet turned back to Tifa, the smug smile once more on her face. "Now it's time to pay up. I'll really drop you if you don't settle down!" She laughed.

Tifa grunted as the soldiers came forward. There was no point in her trying to run. She would not make it past Scarlet _and_ the soldiers, and the only other way led to a sure death crashing into the ocean. She was just about to concede defeat and allow the soldiers to arrest her, when she heard a voice speak faintly…

_Run…_

Surprised, Tifa looked up and around her, wondering where the voice had come from. The voice was strangely familiar, yet at the same time completely alien and unfamiliar. She looked at the soldiers advancing on her. She looked at Scarlet, staring at her through wild eyes and laughing in delight. None of them had spoken, so who…?

_Run to the end of the cannon!!!_

Tifa obeyed at once, turning away from the soldiers and starting to run rapidly down the shaft toward the end of the cannon. She was running to certain death, of that she was sure of, but even if she did die, she would at least die with the satisfaction that she did not die at Scarlet's hands. The soldiers made no attempt to hurry after her—after all, where could she go?

Then a whirring noise began to sound, faint at first but swiftly growing louder, as though something large and powerful was approaching. Tifa and the soldiers skidded to a stop and looked ahead in complete wonder and surprise as a Shinra airship suddenly rose from beneath the cannon, rising slowly and hovering next to it. Painted in red paint across the side of the airship was the name 'Highwind', along with a picture of a woman dressed in a red bikini and with long, flowing red hair.

Standing on the airship's outer deck was Barret. The big man jumped up as he saw Tifa, waving his arms at her and shouting for her to run. Tifa complied, beginning to run for the cannon's edge even as the soldiers and Scarlet continued to stare in amazement.

The airship began to rise. Barret took hold of a long length of strong rope and threw it over the side of the ship. The rope slid down the side of the ship, falling past the cannon and swaying barely within reach of the cannon.

The soldiers had noticed Tifa was running now and quickly chased after her, trying to catch up to her before she could reach the rope and escape. Tifa glanced over her shoulder, saw the soldiers catching up to her, and tried her hardest to run faster. As she neared the end of the cannon she stretched her arms out, trying to grab hold of the rope as it swayed just within reach. But by the time she reached the end and jumped off, the rope had swayed out of reach again and she fell.

Tifa fell, her arms stretched up to the sky as she saw the airship rising rapidly away from her. The rope came within reach again and she quickly caught hold, sliding down a good few metres before she was able to get a secure hold. The rope burned through her leather gloves—she could feel the heat in her palms. But she did not let go and held on tight as the rope swayed perilously back and forth. On deck Barret gripped the other end of the rope tightly, determined not to let go and let Tifa fall.

He barked out an order and the ship began to move, flying away from Junon and heading out across the sea and into the horizon, carrying Tifa with it.

* * *

"You okay?" asked Barret. 

Tifa was sat on deck, catching her breath after her terrifying ordeal. Her hands burned from holding onto the rope, and her cheek stung as a cold wind blew across her face. Her eyes were bleary from the wind—so she told herself—and she could barely make out the forms of Barret and Cait as they stood around her.

"My cheek hurts a bit," she admitted, rubbing at her sore cheek. The bleeding had stopped, though she would have a reminder of Scarlet for a few days. Tifa was not too bothered—Scarlet would have marks for a good while longer. Tifa wiped her eyes, and looked up at the two. "Forget about that, what's all this about?"

Barret looked to Cait, who grinned awkwardly and scratched the back of his head with his megaphone. The Mog copied him, almost knocking the cat off his perch. "Well, I'll catch the details later," said the cat evasively, refusing to meet either Tifa or Barret's eyes. "In any case," he added casually, "the Airship, Highwind, is now yours." With that he turned and hopped away. Barret waited before following him.

Tifa stared as the two disappeared through a door. She didn't know what had happened, but she could guess by Cait's guilty expression and Barret's fierce look that the cat had done something to trick them again. She did not get angry, though. The cat was only doing what he was being ordered to do, after all. It wasn't his fault.

Telling herself that this was the case, Tifa headed for the door leading into the ship. She was just about to take hold of the handle when a loud moaning, groaning sound cut through the roaring of the wind blowing through the propellers that powered the ship. Stepping away from the door Tifa turned and looked about the upper deck, until she spotted the source of the slurred groaning.

It was Yuffie. The young Wutai ninja was slumped heavily against the rails bordering the deck, her head leaning over the side. Her face was pale, with a green tinge to it, and she had one hand clamped tightly over her mouth as she groaned. Remembering the ninja's abhorrence to travel other than by foot, Tifa kept a wide berth and slid through the door and descended down the stairs leading into the ship.

When she walked inside she was hit with choking smell of oil and heavy machinery. The sound of the engines whirring and humming drummed loudly inside her head, making the blood pound. Tifa groaned and put a hand to her head, wishing that the noise would stop. The stench of the oil made her cough and didn't help her already pessimistic mood, but she tried to put all these thoughts aside as she descended the stairs and headed toward one of the bridges where Barret and Cait were talking.

"Dammit! Why didn't ya tell me you could fly an airship!?" Barret was shouting angrily, lifting his voice so that Cait could hear him over the roar of the engines. He shook his head and sagged. "I thought…… Tifa was gone for good."

Cait once again scratched his head and sat back on his Mog, resting his feet leisurely on the Mog's controls. "Sorry," he said simply, "but I had to do something to trick the enemy." He sat up and, grasping the controls firmly in his gloved hands, turned the Mog around. "Come on! Everyone is waiting!" The Mog hopped away, going up a set of stairs and disappearing through the door. Barret followed, not noticing Tifa standing at the end of the bridge.

"Everyone? Everyone is here?" said Tifa to herself. For an instant her heart lifted and she tore down the bridge, boots clattering on the metal grating, and leapt up the stairs. She burst onto the deck beyond and skidded to a stop, her heart falling.

Everyone was not there. She looked around and saw all of her friends. She saw Barret and Cait; Barret heading toward his spot at the front of the deck. She saw Vincent standing with Red XIII on the far side of the deck. They looked up at her as she ran in, Red XIII's face looking at her with concern.

She saw Cid, standing proudly at the ship's helm. He was looking over the shoulder of a young man dressed in a Shinra air uniform, criticising him quite harshly about his sloppy piloting skills. Two more Shinra workers were standing at another console near to Tifa. They glanced at her as she walked in. Tifa looked back. They did not look like prisoners.

Cid turned away from the nervous young pilot and spotted Tifa standing near the entrance of the deck, looking around. Putting out his cigarette and putting the half-smoked butt behind his ear, he ran up to Tifa and gestured to the deck. "Welcome to my airship—the Highwind!" Cid announced proudly.

Everyone turned to Tifa as she walked forward slowly toward the centre of the deck. Her head turned this way and that, looking around without enthusiasm. When she finished scanning the deck she turned to the face the spot near to where Barret stood, and her face fell. That was where Cloud should have been standing. Cloud should have been the one to rescue her, to lead the way. Cloud should be standing there now, telling them what they should do, where to go.

Cid watched her as her face fell, and he tapped his foot in annoyance. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice harsh. "You should be more excited than that!"

Red XIII looked up at him. "Cid……" he said softly. Giving the pilot a gentle nudge with his paw, the hound shook his head. Cid stared, then his eyes opened wide as he realised what the hound was saying. He gave Tifa an apologetic glance and scratched the back of his head, bowing awkwardly.

"Yeah……" said the pilot with a blush.

Tifa was paying no attention to the conversation. She continued to look at that one spot at the front of the deck. She could almost picture him standing there with a hand on his hip, gazing out of the window with that serious look he always wore, like he carried the troubles of the whole planet on his shoulders and no one was allowed to help share the load. After thinking about it all for a long time, he would turn to her and tell her it was going to be all right, saying it as though it was nothing. Even though inside, he was being torn apart by his suspicions of the truth. Tifa sighed. There was nothing she could do about it now. After taking one final look at the deck, she turned her eyes away and looked at Cid. "Not enough crew," she said quietly.

"Well, it takes all kinds," said Cid. He nodded his head toward the three Shinra employees that were piloting the ship.

"……So glad you're all right, Tifa," said Vincent. Tifa gave him a small nod. She then turned to Cait, who was hopping up behind her.

"Tifa, I'll give you information on Shinra," he said. Standing up, he patted his furry chest. "Ask me if there's anything you don't understand."

Tifa was just about to ask him a question about why he was being so helpful when she felt a large paw pat her leg. She looked down to see Red XIII standing next to her. He gazed up at her with his one good eye and asked the question she had been dreading answering. "Do you think we aren't strong enough without Cloud?" he asked. "Do you think we can't save the Planet alone?"

Sighing, Tifa went to the front of the deck. She pressed her hand against the glass wall and peered out at the ocean as it rushed by. They were on an airship owned by the Shinra, flying to who knew where, without a clue what to do. She turned her eyes from the water and looked up at the sky. The skies were darkening to a deeper orange as day headed into night. Even Meteor was beginning to fade now, swallowed up by the darkness of night. But it would return again when the sun rose.

"Meteor is coming," she began, her eyes fixed on the evening sky above, "and Weapon is on the rampage…… At a time like this, I don't know what I'm supposed to do…… No idea at all……" Sighing again, she closed her eyes.

"Get a hold of yourself, Tifa!" said Barret. He turned to the others gathered on the deck—except for Yuffie, who was still on the outer deck praying she didn't lose her lunch. "C'mon, let's think about this! No way we can get offa this train we're on!"

"……If only Cloud were here, everything would be fine," said Tifa softly, just loud enough for the others to hear. "Cloud would… stand that cocky little way he did, and tell us what to do. He'd say 'Everything's under control, Tifa.'" She smiled at the memory.

"Tifa! When'd you become such a wimp!" snapped Barret.

Tifa came away from the window and turned to Barret. "I'm sorry Barret," she said. "I'm kind of shocked myself. I'm so depressed."

"And Tifa……" Barret added, his expression softening a little. "The reason why we all thought it was Cloud was because……"

"……I know," interrupted Tifa, cutting him off. She did not need Barret to remind her that it was because of her everyone believed that the spiky young blond with the glowing mako eyes was the real Cloud Strife. Even then, she was not totally convinced. "That's why I want to make sure. That's why I have to see him again."

"Cheer up, Tifa……" said Red XIII kindly.

"I want you to know I didn't dislike him," said Cid to Tifa, taking his half-smoked cigarette out from behind his ear and popping it in his mouth, holding it firmly between his teeth. "Gotta admit he was a strange dude. Just when you thought he was cool, he'd go and do some damn fool thing." He took out his lighter and lit the cigarette. "And when you thought he was smart, he'd show how stupid he was." He took a deep puff. "Everything about him from his movements to his speech were kinda odd. Knowin' what I do now, I can see why he was that way. Well, as long as you stay alive, you just might see him again someday, so cheer up, sis."

Tifa thought about what he said, and then nodded. "……I'll be able to see him again someday," she said, this time with more confidence.

Cid took his cigarette out of his mouth and pointed it at the ship's controls. A thin trail of smoke rose from the tip. "If we can find out where he is, the Highwind'll get us there in no time."

"……Maybe." Red XIII sat back on his hind legs and yawned widely. It had been a very long day. Even his flame-tipped tail refused to twitch—it was so exhausted. "Cloud is still stuck deep in the North Crater, where the ground cracked and swallowed him up. Buried in the depths of the underground……"

"Deep within the earth…" Tifa repeated. "…are you talking about the Lifestream?"

Red XIII nodded. "The Lifestream sometimes gushes out to the surface from cracks in the ocean floor. I heard that such a place exists. Maybe, just maybe Cloud's……"

The hound was cut short as the Highwind suddenly shuddered and dropped a few feet in the air. The young pilot operating the controls screeched and gripped onto the joystick hesitantly, bringing the airship back to level flight. "Waaaaaah!" the young pilot yelled. "Captain Cid!"

Cid sighed and put out his cigarette. He turned to Tifa. "Tifa, sorry, but I've gotta show this moron how to land the ship. Don't worry, it'll be done in a minute. Oh, and Tifa……" he added, giving Tifa a stern look. "No matter what your goal is, you've gotta be prepared. Go to your room and get ready for our operation."

So while Cid coached his new apprentice in the skills of piloting a large airship, Tifa left the deck and headed down to the conference room in the mid-section of the ship. There she sat in silence, her head in her hands, trying to decide where to begin in her search for Cloud.

* * *

**Emerald:** There we go. A slightly shorter chapter, but then the majority of the chapter is just Tifa babble. Apologies if she came out a little wimpy and OOC—it was hard trying to convey her grieving for Cloud without her being all soppy and 'Oh, Cloud, Cloud, wherefore art thou, Cloud?' 


	6. Part Ten: Chapter 05

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Five**

Standing in the gateway of the village of Mideel, Tifa once again rubbed her eyes in disbelief at the sight that lay before her.

Mideel was a small village, located on a three-taloned island far to the south of the Condor Plains. It appeared on the world map in the Highwind's briefing room, but was so small and so seemingly insignificant she was surprised it was there at all. It was surrounded by a dense forest and they had almost missed it when they flew over the continent. Due to the density of the forest, it was impossible to land the Highwind close to the village, and so they had to park the airship a few miles away and approach the village on foot (though Cid resented Cait Sith's use of 'park the airship').

Tifa first learned about the existence of Mideel after Red XIII took her aside and told her he remembered a tale his father, Seto, had told him once. The tale said that the Lifestream sometimes flowed to the surface in the south, but, sadly, he could not remember where.

Curious to know more about the possibility of the Lifestream reaching the planet's surface, Tifa had left the Highwind and entered Junon's lower town. At first she was nervous, since it had been barely a day since her dramatic escape from the upper levels. To her surprise, or perhaps not, really, since nobody on the lower levels liked or supported Shinra, no one stopped her.

Asking around, Tifa had found very few people who could help her. She was thinking about giving up when one man suggested that she talk to Priscilla. Her heart racing so much she could not even spare a thank you, Tifa had run with all haste to the home of the little girl they had saved from drowning some months before, when their adventure was just beginning.

Priscilla had been very startled when Tifa suddenly burst into her home. A rather ostentatious young girl, her manners had not changed at all since the last time they met, though she was much more agreeable when she finally recognised the young female fighter from Midgar. As Tifa had hoped, the young girl did know about the Lifestream, and had even been able to provide her with a location:_ "It's Mr. Dolphin's playground. There's a three-taloned island south of the continent."_

Thanking Priscilla with all her heart (after receiving a stern order from the girl to retrieve Cloud, since he was 'important' to her) Tifa ran straight back to the Highwind to pass on the information to Barret and the others.

So now, thanks to Priscilla's directions and Cid's quickly-progressing piloting staff, Tifa stood in the gateway of Mideel, the only village on this three-taloned island. Barret and the others were a small ways behind her, left behind in her eagerness to reach the village.

Her first impression of Mideel was… surprise. Mideel was completely unlike any village she had ever seen on her long journey across the continents. It was a small village, with only a handful of people living there. The houses were built of wood or stone rather than metal like homes in Midgar. Only one house stood out, for it was half-painted white—a large building at the far end of the village.

There were no mako-powered buildings, no mako reactors, no machinery—at least not that she could see. The closest thing to a machine that she could see was a tall windmill near the village entrance, its wooden blades turning slowly in the gentle breeze that swept through the forest. People strolled through the village almost uncaringly, as though unaware of the events of the outside world.

"Ahoy! Hey, ain't you a beaut?"

Broken from her reverie, Tifa turned around. Near the windmill was an old man, resting his old bones against a wooden fence. His aged face was wrinkled and brown from the sun, his eyes bright and smiling, like his mouth. Tifa nodded her head and smiled back, accepting the compliment.

The old man, pleased, nodded his head toward the village.

"This here's Mideel," he told her. Though he was old his mind was sharp, and he could tell with a look that Tifa was new to these parts. "It's a quiet little hot springs town. Just the perfect place for old folks like us to live out our lives." He raised his eyes to the sky, and the smile lessened to a frown. "I hear that things ain't so peaceful on the outside. But here it's still nice and quiet."

Tifa followed his gaze, to where the giant, fiery orb of Meteor still hung in the sky, even in the day. The sky surrounding the orb was red, as though on fire. It was a blemish in the sky. Tifa lowered her gaze. With no reactors around to suck up the mako, the land around Mideel was rich and green. The people who lived here were content and happy. They did not need machines to run their lives, they made their own. Mideel was an example of how life used to be, before Shinra and SOLDIER and Sephiroth…

Tifa sighed and turned. The others were just coming up behind her, and Tifa began to walk into the village, once again lost in her thoughts. Did the others think she was silly, pursuing what could be a wild goose chase? Did they believe that Cloud had died back in the Northern Crater? Did they secretly wish that he had? No, that was silly, she told herself. Despite his faults and everything that had happened, everyone still respected him. Even Barret held a grudging respect for him, though he'd likely never admit it.

Reaching the centre of Mideel, Tifa came to a stop and looked around. Where should she begin? Should she start with the shop owners, who stood outside their stores calling out to passers-by, encouraging them to look at their wares, weapons, and materia? Or should she go door-to-door, see if anyone knew anything about the Lifestream?

As she was thinking of this, a small dog came loping up to her and rubbed its nose against her ankle. Tifa looked down at the dog. It looked up at her.

"What's the matter? Are you all alone?" Tifa asked, kneeling down. She patted the dog's head and scratched it behind the ears. The dog came closer to her, whining for attention. "You got lost, didn't you," said Tifa. "Separated from someone you love……? Silly thing…"

A large hand touched her shoulder. Tifa looked up. Barret was standing behind her, his face filled with so much concern that Tifa felt her heart beat painfully. Glancing around, she saw the same look reflected in the faces in her other friends, even the seemingly unfeeling Vincent. Tifa felt immediately foolish. No, of they didn't think she was silly. They were worried for her. Turning back to Barret, Tifa forced a confident smile onto her face.

"……Guess it's been about a week now since he washed up here on the shore… Poor pokey-headed young thing…"

Tifa and Barret started at the same time. The same thought flashed through their minds. Sharing a quick glance, they turned their eyes across the street, where two men were stood talking.

"It was really sad…… but weird," said the other man. His companion stood in front of him, so Tifa could not see his face, but she could hear him clearly. He spread his arms wide. "He was holding this really long sword. I dunno. This whole thing feels unlucky to me. But the amazing thing was those weird blue eyes…"

Weird blue eyes… Eyes that glowed due to an infusion with mako energy. They belonged to a face framed by, as it had been so eloquently described, 'pokey' blond hair. And in the person's hand… a long, wide-bladed sword capable of cutting stone and concrete in two. The face of a man from an almost forgotten dream, walking into darkness. The image came to her so swiftly that Tifa jumped to her feet, startling the poor dog and causing Barret to back away in alarm.

"Wha!? Wh…… Wait a minute!" Tifa almost shrieked. "What did you just say!?"

Dodging Barret's restraining arm and ignoring his warning mutter, Tifa darted across the street toward the two men. Made somewhat anxious by the sudden shout of this woman and the sight of her running determinedly toward them, they wondered if they ought to run. One look into her face, seeing her set eyes, and a glance at her strong frame and studded gloves, made them think otherwise. Tifa stopped before them.

"Excuse me!" she said. "That young man you were just talking about…"

The two men looked at one another nervously. Finally, the first man spoke. "Yeah… a villager found him a little ways down the coast…" he explained, pointing to the east, away from the village. "It was about a week ago, I think."

The other man nodded in agreement. "Yeah, poor kid…… He must've drifted from pretty far away…"

From the other side of the world, thought Tifa, her heart racing wildly. Spinning on her heel, surprising the two men once more, she faced Barret and her friends. "Cloud!!" she said, unable to contain her excitement. "It must be!! It's Cloud!!"

"Heh, good job, Tifa," said Cid, giving her a thumbs up.

"BINGO!" Yuffie cheered, throwing her fist into the air in triumph, though she had done little to aid the search other than hide in the Highwind's engine room and be sick.

Her face beaming with joy, Tifa turned back to the two bewildered men behind her. "So where is he?" she asked them, her voice trembling. "Is he safe!? Where is he now……?" Her eyes scanned the street, half-expecting to see Cloud walk out from one of the houses.

Once again the two men looked at each other. Strange, sorrowful looks crossed their faces as they finally realised that this woman had no idea…… Finally one of the men turned and pointed to the large house at the end of the village.

"Yeah… up ahead here…" he said to her. "At the, uh, clinic……"

Tifa looked over at the building. It stood out against the rest of the buildings in Mideel, for most of it was painted white. "He's alive…!" she said, her dark eyes shining. "Cloud…… Cloud's alive!! Cloud……!"

"Oh, HEY!"

"Wait up!"

The calls of her friends did not reach her. Tifa ran up the street toward the great, white house. A cloud of sand formed around her as she kicked up the dirt, clogging her nose and parching her throat, but she ignored all of these. Her eyes and her thoughts were focused on that one house. Here she would be reunited with Cloud, and everything would be all right. Cloud would be back, and they would carry on in their quest to destroy Shinra and Sephiroth. Nothing else mattered. All she had to do was reach him. The doorknob was in her hand, and then the door was open. Tifa burst into the clinic.

"Cloud!?"

A tall man with greying hair and a long, white lab-coat stood before her, gazing up at charts he had placed along the wall. Hearing the door open and the sound of Tifa's voice, the man started and spun around in alarm. A pair of thick-rimmed spectacles rested on the bridge of his nose, and he had the queerest moustache Tifa had ever seen before. She would have found it quite comical, if she had not had her mind on other things.

"Here now," said the man calmly. He appeared to be a doctor. "The way you're running around here, you'd think Meteor fell or something."

"I'm sorry," Tifa replied. Even as she spoke, her eyes were sweeping the room eagerly. "But I heard that a friend of mine was being taken care of here……"

"A friend?" The doctor folded his arms for a moment, thinking, and then nodded his head. "Oh yeah……! That young fellow!? Don't worry. Your friend is next door. But I'm afraid his condition is…"

"Here?" asked Tifa, looking over at the door that led into the next room. She nodded. "Over here." Before the doctor could speak, she ran into the room. "Cloud…!?"

The next room was apparently a ward of some kind. There were three hospital beds, each covered with clean, white linen sheets, all of them neatly made. A window on the far wall let in sunlight, which shone upon the beds and the floor. A nurse in a white uniform and dark hair tied back into a tight bun stood in front of a figure sat, seemingly in a chair. If the alarm bells of concern were ringing, Tifa was deaf to them, for she spotted, past the nurse's arm, a flash of spiky blond hair. Her heart leaping to her throat, she darted forward, even as the others ran into the hospital.

"Oh… Cloud!!" she said. "I'm so glad you're safe! ……!? Cloud……?"

Tifa stopped. Her heart froze. Upon her entry into the ward, the nurse turned around and moved aside from her patient, allowing Tifa to see the person she had been attending. It was the sight that she saw that caused Tifa's heart to freeze and her throat to constrict.

It was Cloud, of that there was no doubt. But he looked so terrible that for a moment Tifa thought that her mind and eyes must be playing some kind of horrible trick on her.

It was not a chair that Cloud was sitting in, but a wheelchair. He was slumped heavily in it, his hands resting weakly on the armrests. When he breathed, there came a terrible wheezing, whistling sound, as though his lungs were unable to inflate properly. His skin was pale, almost deathly, and his face had a faint sheen of sweat to it.

But it was his eyes that sent chills down Tifa's spine. As Cloud lifted his head from his chest and looked at her, she saw that his blue eyes were open wide, as though in terror. The pupils had dilated, and the irises glowed with such a fierce intensity that it was a wonder they did not burn from the glow. Though he was facing Tifa he did not see her but stared at her blankly, looking past her, through her even, as though she was not even there. Those terror-stricken eyes gazed around wildly as Cloud raised his shaking head. When he spoke, it was not words that passed through his lips, but a garbled mess of unintelligible symbols.

"Uh……aaa……?" he mumbled. Taking his eyes away from Tifa he lifted them to the ceiling, letting his head roll back against the wheelchair. He took a deep, whistling breath, letting it out shakily.

Tifa, horrified at what she saw before her, took a careful step forward. "Wh…… what's wrong…… Cloud……?"

In response, Cloud lowered his head gaze to look past her again. Sweat trickled down his pale skin. His hands clenched and unclenched the armrests, his nails digging into the leather. Another whistling breath. "A…… Gurk……?" he said. Then, as though losing all strength, his head dropped back to his chest.

"Cloud!" said Tifa. "What happened to you……?"

"Mako poisoning……" said the doctor, who was now standing in the open doorway. He looked over at Cloud, who was struggling once more to raise his head from his chest. "Quite an advanced case…… It appears this young man's been exposed to a high level of Mako energy for a protracted period of time. He probably has no idea where he is now……" Pausing, the doctor closed his eyes and shook his head. "Poor fellow, his voice doesn't even work. He is literally miles away from us. Some place where no one's ever been… All alone…"

"Doctor……!!" gasped Tifa, turning to glare at him.

"Damn…… that's evil," said Cid, stood behind the doctor, shaking his head in pity. Next to him, Vincent slowly nodded his head.

Tifa, shaken by the doctor's words, turned back to look at Cloud. The young man had managed to lift his head again and was staring up at the ceiling. Each time he exhaled came that awful whistling sound. The truth of the words began to sink in. He truly did not see her, or know that she was even there. Slowly she sank to her knees, fearing she may faint in her shock.

The doctor, seeing her face go pale, coughed loudly. "Ahem! Let us excuse ourselves," he said, as everyone turned to look at him. "Listen," he added, "would you all mind…… waiting outside?"

One by one, Cid, Vincent, and the others left the hospital. The doctor and the nurse, also, stepped outside. Only Barret remained, taking a moment to look over at Tifa, who was kneeling silently in front of Cloud. He watched as Cloud's head dropped back to his chest, and the tips of his spiky blond hair brushed against Tifa's own dark hair. He stayed for just a moment, however, before turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

When they were all gone, Tifa dropped her head. Long dark hair fell over her face, hiding the tears that were threatening to fall down her cheeks. Out of all the things she had expected to happen upon finding Cloud, this… _this……_ was not one of them.

"Why……? What do you want me to do?" she asked helplessly, though she expected no answer from the silent figure before her. She looked up, and through the lengths of dark hair that obscured her vision, saw a pair of wide, glowing eyes staring blankly back at her.

"Please, Cloud……" she begged. She took his hand in hers. "Talk to me…… Tell me you can see me, that you can hear me…… Tell me, please……" She squeezed his hand. Her head dropped. "I came this far believing in the memories we have together…" She shook her head. "This isn't happening……! This is too cruel……" Her body began to tremble. "Oh, Cloud……! I………"

Then, with only the sound of Cloud's wheezing, whistling breath for company…… Tifa Lockhart began to cry.

* * *

**[A Note from the Authoress]**

Um… Hi? Uh… I'm alive, as you can see. Wow… it has been a while, hasn't it? I really didn't mean to go inactive for this long… It just sort of happened, I guess.

I've tried going back to this chapter dozens of times, but could never get into it. Thanks for everyone who sent me messages saying 'will I go back to it soon?' Sorry I kept you waiting this long. Hopefully some of my old watchers will still read… maybe I'll pick up some new ones… But… uh… Let's see how long I can keep this up. I really want to keep to my promise and finish it. It's been a while since I wrote anything. Anyway, better get started on the next chapter. Thanks again!


	7. Part Ten: Chapter 06

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Six**

Barret shut the hospital door and sighed heavily, his thoughts on Tifa. He knew that by now she would be crying, alone in that room, with the one person who could make her smile again unable to help her. The thought angered him, and he clenched his fist tightly, wanting to slam it against the wooden door with all his might. Damn him for making her feel this way! he thought. Damn it all!

Opening his eyes, he saw the others were on the street, gathered around the doctor and the young nurse. This was no time for him to lose his temper. There were things to be done, things to sort out. Barret swallowed his anger as best he could before pushing himself away from the door, going to stand with the others.

Red XIII looked up at the doctor. "Tell me, doctor, is Cloud all right?" he asked softly, his bright eyes looking at the elder man hopefully. "I mean will he heal?"

"I'll say it again," the doctor said patiently, "he's got Mako poisoning. I've never seen a case this bad… An immense amount of Mako-drenched knowledge was put into his brain all at once…… No normal human could have survived it…… It's a miracle he did!"

"No wonder……" muttered Barret. "After fallin' in the Lifestream an' bein' washed up here……" And not bein' a normal human himself, he added silently.

"But remember, the light of hope can be found anywhere," said the doctor, looking around at each member of the group, taking in their grim, worn, tired faces. "Listen," he said to them, his voice low, "if you give up hope…"—he gestured to the hospital—"What will happen to him?"

There was a moment's silence as everyone considered his words. Cid scratched his head thoughtfully, unsure of what the old man meant. Yuffie, her brain hurting from all this thinking, dropped down and drew in the dirt with the edge of her razor ring, wishing someone would decide already so they could get moving. Vincent closed his eyes; Cait twisted his feline head back and forth, troubled.

Red XIII, his head lowered, pawed at the ground with his claws for a moment, lost in deep thought. He closed his eyes. His claws extended, feeling the dirt scrape beneath them. Finally he nodded and raised his head. "Hmm, I know he'll recover!" he announced confidently, as everyone's eyes turned to him. "Cloud was a strong member of SOLDIER."

At this, Barret turned away and crossed his arms. Red XIII seemed very confident, and his words seemed to strike a chord with the rest of the party. But he… for some reason… just could not shake off a niggling doubt. Memories of the events in the Northern Cave flooded to his mind… Sephiroth… Shinra……

……Cloud giving Sephiroth the Black Materia……

"……Hope……" he mumbled quietly. "Hey, but honestly, man…… Do I really want him to come back?" he asked himself. "What did he do for the world? What can he do for us from here on out? He may be nothing more than Sephiroth's shadow……"

"Is something wrong?" asked the doctor, looking at him. The others were looking at him, as well.

Barret turned back. "No, nothin'. Nothin' at all, doc."

The door then opened, and Tifa stepped out. Everyone turned. Tifa's face was pale and drawn, and if she had been crying it didn't show, for her face was still damp from when she had washed it before coming out. Seeing the multitude of worried faces looking at her, she tried to force a brave smile onto her face. She would have succeeded, if it weren't for her eyes showing a different story.

"You okay?" Barret asked her.

Tifa looked over at him, her dark eyes saddened. "Yes……" she answered simply. Then she turned her eyes toward everyone. "I'm sorry I had you all worried," she apologised. "And I have something I want to tell you all……"

Tifa turned and walked back inside the hospital. Barret and all the others followed her, until they were all gathered once more in the ward where Cloud still sat, slumped, in the wheelchair. Tifa had opened the window in their absence, and a cool draft now blew throughout the room. The fighter stood beside Cloud, facing her friends with a sad, though determined, expression on her face.

"I don't care about anything else," she told them, "only Cloud…… I…… I want to be by his side……"

No looks of surprise crossed the faces of her friends. If they were honest, they had suspected this ever since they saw the state Cloud was in. They knew that Tifa could never willingly walk away and leave her friend like this. "You gotta do it then," Yuffie told her. "You gotta live true to yourself."

"Yeah, that's probably best……" Barret agreed. "For Cloud…… an' for you……"

One by one the others nodded their agreement and approval. Touched by their sentiment, Tifa lowered her eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry, everyone… At a time like this……" Lifting her eyes, she looked at everyone.

"No big, no big," said Yuffie, forcing a smile and hefting her razor ring up onto her shoulder, its razor-sharp blade glinting in the sunlight streaming in from the open window. "I'll pop in again later."

"You take care now, Tifa," Barret said, somewhat sternly. "And take care of Cloud."

Tifa glanced over her shoulder. Cloud had managed to lift his head from his chest and was resting it against the back of the wheelchair. He had tilted his head to one side and was staring out the window, where the sky was tinged slightly red from Meteor's presence. The light touching his pale face, therefore, was also tinged red, giving him a fevered complexion. His mouth opened and closed wordlessly.

Tifa turned back. "Right……" she said.

Barret then turned away, intending to leave the hospital and head back to the airship. But he hesitated. The question he had been dying to ask Tifa ever since Junon burned on his tongue. He couldn't leave without knowing the answer to that question. Or, at least, hear Tifa's answer.

"Oh, and uh, Tifa…" he began hesitantly, tilting his head slightly. "I don't like askin' this but…… Is he really your childhood friend? And not Sephiroth's shadow?"

"Huh!?" Tifa seemed startled by the question. "Well… that is……" Once more, she glanced over her shoulder. When she looked back, her face was determined. She shook her head. "No, I'm sure of it!"

"Yeah……?" said Barret, turning to meet her gaze. He looked deep into her eyes, trying to see if she was telling the truth. There was no deception in her eyes—she truly believed what she said. Barret sighed. "Okay then…… Sorry for askin' that."

The two continued to stare at each other awkwardly, as neither could think of anything more to say to comfort or reassure the other. As they looked at each other, Yuffie leaned over and nudged Cait in his furry ribs.

"Hey, shouldn't we be getting back to the Highwind?"

* * *

Within the hour, the party arrived back at the Highwind, one down now that they had to leave Tifa behind in Mideel. The doctor had said it would be no problem if Tifa stayed—in fact, it would be good for the patient to have a familiar face around, and left him and the nurse free to take care of other pressing matters.

Once on the Highwind, the pilots, now much more confident in their flying ability, took the ship to the air and sped off across the shores of Mideel, following the island's coast until they were given their next destination. The Highwind flew low along the coast, the air stream from the engines skimming the calm ocean's surface and creating a stream of white spray behind them.

The mood on deck, however, was far from calm.

"What're we gonna do now!" shouted Barret angrily, half-deafening those unlucky enough to be in close proximity. "What CAN we do?" he demanded, spinning around to face the others and looking at them expectantly. "Huh? Ain't there nothin' that we can do? An' don't go tellin' us to wait for Cloud to get better," he warned, shaking his gun-arm menacingly.

Around him, the others were silent. Vincent shrugged; Red XIII's tail moved uneasily across the deck, and he shook his maned head regretfully. Yuffie, upon her return to the airship, had taken up her usual residence away from the deck, pale and sickly. Cait stayed at the back of the group, his back to the group, still and seemingly preoccupied. Cid, worn out from the long walk back to the airship, had sat down next to the piloting controls to catch his breath but had, at some point, ended up drifting off into a light sleep. This was where he lay even now, snoring softly, oblivious to Barret's angry rants and raves.

Barret, looking around at his silent companions, felt himself grow angrier at this lack of activity. He needed to DO something! They had wasted enough time already, flying back and forth across the continent in search of Cloud, and then when they did find him, he was in no state to help them out! What were Shinra up to, that's what he wanted to know! They could be plotting anything, and they were here, in a backwater part of the world, wasting time!

Suddenly, Cait seemed to come back to life at that point, as he suddenly stood up, turned his robotic Mog around, and moved it forward to rejoin the group. "Oh, I've got some news," he announced cheerfully.

Barret narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, what? That you a spy?" he sneered.

Cait came to a stop and fixed his feline face on Barret. "Yeah…… I already told you I was." Sitting himself more comfortably on the Mog's head, he winked at Barret. "Both gya ha ha and kya ha ha are up to something. Wanna eavesdrop?"

* * *

A number of miles away from where the Highwind skimmed the ocean shores of Mideel, an emergency meeting was being held in Shinra Headquarters in Midgar. Rufus stood at the head of the meeting, his face grave as he thought long and hard about the problems that faced him and his company.

Before him, his highest level employees looked just as nervous. Palmer, Head of the Space Program, sat fidgeting in his seat, his pudgy face creased in growing anxiety. Over to one side, Reeve Tuesti, Head of Urban Development, was lost in thought, his fingers playing absently with the sleeve of his white shirt. Only Heidegger looked nonchalant, seemingly unaffected by his fellow employee's nervousness. He sat beside Palmer, tapping his fingers impatiently against the table, waiting for the president to begin.

Rufus checked his watch. It was time to begin. "Now then……" he began, coming to stand before his employees, who looked up at him as he spoke. "We're faced with two issues. One: Destroy Meteor. Two: Remove the barrier around the North Cave and defeat Sephiroth." The president looked around. "Any ideas?"

Heidegger laughed his 'gya, ha, ha' laugh, the one that earned him the not-so-affectionate nickname of 'gya, ha, ha' from Cait Sith.

"We already solved the first problem!" Heidegger boasted, his black beard bristling with confidence. "Meteor will soon be smashed to bits! The plan has already been put into motion. Namely, to collect the Huge Materia from each region." He sat back, large arms crossed across his belly, grinning widely.

Rufus stared at him blankly. "Well……" he began.

The door behind him opened and Scarlet strolled casually in, not seeming to be aware that she was late for this important meeting. Though she had tried to hide the marks with make-up, the evidence of her slap-fight with the escaped Tifa Lockhart was still visible on her face, though none dared to mention it. Passing the Shinra president, she began to explain to him the basics of hers and Heidegger's plans.

"Huge Materia is a high density special type of materia made by a special compression process in Mako reactors," she said, stopping at the edge of the table. "The energy extracted from it is 330 times the strength of normal materia. Ha, ha, ha! How about that!?" she asked, spreading her hands. "We will gather all the Huge Materia together and ram it into Meteor. That will cause a huge explosion!! Reducing Meteor literally to bits."

Rufus's eyes opened wide. "You're going to ram Meteor?" he asked sceptically. He ran the idea over in his mind. Thinking it over, he looked up at Scarlet. "Do you think we have the technology to do it?"

"Don't worry about that!" Scarlet assured him. "More importantly, we've got to collect Huge Materia from each area."

"We've already collected materia from Nibelheim," Heidegger added. "All that's left is 'Corel' and 'Fort Condor'. I've already dispatched troops to Corel." He laughed loudly.

* * *

"Corel!" shouted Barret as Cait cut off the connection between the airship and Shinra HQ. Spinning around, he shook his fists angrily. "What else can they do to Corel!?"

"And the Huge Materia……" Red XIII tilted his head to look up at Cait, who sat with his legs dangling on the Mog. "You mean the Huge Materia, don't you? I've heard about it. When our small materia nears the larger one, something should happen. I'm certain of it. That's why we're using the power of materia in our fight……"

Barret cursed under his breath. "Can't let Shinra get a hold of the Huge Materia!" he said through gritted teeth. "Besides, when Cloud gets back, I wanna show him this Huge Materia. He's gonna be shocked."

Cait raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, resting his chin on the rim of his megaphone.

"So, what are you saying, Barret?" the cat asked him curiously, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Even though you're always knocking him, you really want Cloud to return."

For a few moments Barret said nothing. Firstly he glared at Cait Sith with an expression of impotent fury upon his dark face. Then, half-spluttering with rage, he turned away and kept his back to them. Finally, he spun back to face the cat, eyes narrowed in sheer anger.

"I ain't sayin' nothin' 'bout nothin'!" he snapped. "You just… shut your face!" Ignoring the smug look on the cat's face, Barret turned to face Vincent and Red XIII, his gun-arm shaking in anger. "Every group's gotta have a leader. An' that's _me!_" He shook his gun-arm a moment more, and then looked at it silently. "Or at least I wanna be…" he added, letting the arm fall to his side. "But I ain't cut out to be no leader. I never knew that till lately." The big man sighed heavily. "An' that's what is……"

There came a deep snore, followed by a snort and a cough. All eyes turned toward Cid, who was just waking up. The ex-Shinra pilot opened his eyes sleepily, peering out in confusion at his blurred surroundings. He rubbed his eyes with his leather gloves, trying to clear the sleep from them.

"……Hmph?" he muttered, looking around. He blinked again, this time more clearly, and saw a pair of gold-plated, pointed shoes surrounded by a frayed red cape, and the feet of a large, red hound nearby. Raising his eyes, he saw the faces of Vincent and Red XIII, owners of the said pointed shoes and large feet, looking down at him with expressions of mild amusement (as much as amusement could be discerned from the face of Red XIII). Shaking his head, Cid clambered to his feet. "Wha?" he asked, confused. "What's going on?"

Barret pointed at him. "You been chosen to be the new leader," he declared.

Cid stared at him in disbelief, then scowled and spat on the floor. "Pain in the ass. Forget it."

Barret half-expected this protest. The pilot was caught up in their troubles by chance, because it was a choice of either join them and fight against the Shinra, or go back to a town of broken dreams and bitter memories. That didn't mean that Cid wanted to take a prominent role in the Shinra's downfall. But though Barret was not, by his own admission, cut out to be a leader, he was still cunning enough to know how to manipulate this middle-aged pilot into taking the role.

"But for us to fight, we gotta have the Highwind, and you," the big man said placidly, almost casually, as though what he was saying was common knowledge. "We need to save the Planet. An' who's runnin' this ship? You! That's why you're our new leader. Ain't no one else can."

Cid mulled this over in his mind, thinking hard. "Hm…… this ship's gonna save the Planet, huh?" he repeated, rubbing his stubbled chin thoughtfully. He looked at Barret suspiciously. "Ain't that gonna be a little tough?" He tapped his head, a habit he had developed when he was thinking. Finally, the lines of suspicion smoothed from his face and he raised his face, a wide grin on his face. "Oh man, that went straight to my heart. I'm a man, too! Okay, I'll do it! Everyone, follow me!"

Satisfied, Barret nodded. That was one problem sorted, at least. "Awright, now here's the first job," he said. "The Operation Room's waiting for you!"

"Yeah!!" Cid replied, jumping up from where he was and running across the bridge toward the lower decks, leaving the bewildered and amused party and airship crew behind. He almost leaped down the stairs leading to the bridge, where Yuffie was stood keeling over, still feeling nauseous. Cid was just running across the bridge when Barret's voice boomed down after him.

"Yo, Cid! When you're ready, we're headin' for the Corel Reactor. C'mon, Mr. Leader, you'd better hurry."

Hearing this, Yuffie slowly lifted her head. "Cid……?" she asked miserably, looking at Cid as he charged past her at high speed toward the Operation Room. She didn't bother to ask why Cid had been called 'Leader', instead just shrugging her shoulders and returning to her sickly vigil.

Cid, meanwhile, went to the Operation Room to consult the map on the large wall. He didn't really know what he was looking for, but it made him feel important to consult it. It was something a leader ought to do—check the map to make sure of their destination.

He placed a pin over the spot marked 'North Corel' and nodded in satisfaction. With the airship, they would get there in a matter of hours, less if they really pushed the engines into it. Feeling his job here was done, he headed back toward the bridge.

Cait Sith was talking to himself as Cid walked on deck. "Hmmm, the Huge Materia is at Corel, Fort Condor……" He lifted his crown and scratched his furry head. "I'm sure there was another place that had it. Where was that……?"

Seeing Cid walking back onto the bridge, Barret turned and waved sharply. "Yo, Mr. Leader! Get your pilot ass up here!"

Ignoring Barret, Cid took his time strolling up onto the main deck, coming to stand beside the airship's pilot. The young apprentice he had been schooling since leaving Junon now stood confidently by the controls, guiding the ship with ease over the ocean waters. All trace of nervousness was gone from the young man's face, and he looked at Cid with pride and excitement.

"Yeah! Shall we take off?" he asked eagerly.

Cid nodded. "Yes."

The pilot grinned. "Yeah! We're taking off!"

Pulling on the joystick, the airship made a sharp lift upward, rising away from the ocean shore and up into the blue skies. After receiving directions from Cid, the airship then turned steadily around and began to fly at high speed toward the west, heading for the western continent and the town of North Corel.

* * *

**[End of Part 10]**

**[Part Eleven: The Hunt for the Huge Materia]**

* * *

**[A Note from the Authoress]**

_There you go: two chapters in one day. A nice little boost to keep you all occupied._

_One thing that people have asked me recently is why I refer to Red XIII as a hound. Well, I refer to him as a hound because that's what he appears as to me. To me, he is a canine-creature. I know some people prefer to think of him as some sort of lion-like creature, or at least feline-based, but I prefer to think of him as a hound. After all, he howls, and some of his limit breaks are influenced by the moon, which to me suggests werewolf, and therefore, makes him canine. But it's all a matter of preference. So there you go. Question answered._


	8. Part Eleven: Chapter 07

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Part Eleven: The Hunt for the Huge Materia**

**Chapter Seven**

The Highwind wasted no time flying across the ocean to the western continent. The airship's crew, empowered by Cid's rather… colourful… motivation speeches, gave all they had to power the airship through the reddening skies. It took the Highwind just over an hour to cross the ocean and the western shores became visible on the horizon. The Gold Saucer was the first thing they saw, its bright lights visible even in daylight miles away from the shore.

There had been many disputes during the trip over how they should enter the mountains and penetrate the mako reactor. Barret, on edge, said they should land outside North Corel and cross the train tracks. Red XIII suggested that they fly over the mountains and land in the Costa Plains west of Costa del Sol, entering the mountains as they had done before.

The decision eventually fell to Cid, after the former AVALANCHE leader and the hound argued vehemently over which was the best route. Barret's suggestion saved them a little time, though the old rail tracks were rickety and beyond repair. Red XIII's meant they had to fly around the mountains, but meant they were closer to the reactor at the end. Cid, enveloped in his new role as leader, made a big show of listing the pros and cons of each suggestion (much to Barret's annoyance) before finally coming to a decision. The Highwind landed in the deep valley of the Corel Plains just outside of North Corel.

There was a big commotion going on in North Corel as the party entered. Everyone living in the village had left their homes and shops and had gathered in the northern end of the village, looking down the rail tracks leading out of the village and into the vast mountains of Corel. The people murmured in hushed voices, their faces troubled and nervous. They did not pay any attention to Cid and his crew, so focused were they on the rail road.

After a nod from Cid, Vincent slipped up beside one of the villagers. "What is going on?" he asked quietly.

The man did not take his eyes off the railroad. "Shinra soldiers came around sayin' they were gathering up all the Huge Materia. I think they're gonna bring it here by coal train, from the Corel Reactor."

Vincent left him and relayed the information to the others. Cid crossed his arms and tapped his foot. "Well, we know they're here, then," he said. "Guess we have no choice but to go up to the reactor and stop them from excavating this Huge Materia."

"Grrgh! Then let's get movin' already!" said Barret, his eyes wild. "We're wastin' time!"

Before anyone could stop him, Barret began to push his way roughly through the crowd. The villagers of Corel shouted in protest as they were shoved rudely aside, many uttering curses as they recognised him. Barret did not listen, nor did he stop or wait for the others when he reached the train tracks, but simply carried on, following the tracks into the mountains.

Knowing that they could do nothing else, the others followed.

It took them a while to catch up with Barret, who didn't stop or slow his pace even when crossing the rail tracks. The old wooden rails, which rose at times about fifty feet above the mountain floor, creaked as the big man thudded his way across them, but did not bend or break beneath his weight. The expression on Barret's face as he ran was firm and lethal. Even the monsters, the birds and Bombs alike, stayed well out of his way.

Barret finally stopped on a stretch of track leading up to the reactor. He peered around a wall of rock that lined the railroad and assessed the situation. Only two Shinra soldiers stood guard outside the entrance, both with standard Shinra-issue machine guns. Clearly Shinra did not expect any trouble getting the Huge Materia out of Corel. Hmph, thought Barret. They should have learned by now.

Pulling back behind the wall, Barret checked his equipment. His gun-arm was loaded and ready, and the gun-arm's accessory, the chainsaw, still worked perfectly. His materia was secure. The summon materia, Ifrit, glowed faintly, reacting to Barret's anger and rage. Barret looked down at it, contemplating. No, he would not use the summon here, but by god if they did anything to harm the people of Corel—

The others caught up to him at this point. Yuffie, Cid, and Red XIII were all panting with exertion. Cait Sith sat astride Red XIII's back, his furry face grinning cheerfully. The robotic cat had chosen to leave his Mog body back at the airship, saying it would be too clunky and heavy for this mission. Typically, Vincent showed no signs of fatigue, a fact that would have irked Barret had he been of a mind to think about it. But there were more important matters at hand, like those Shinra soldiers…

"Are we ready?" he asked the others—once it looked like they had caught their breath—mostly.

One by one the others nodded, and drew their weapons. Yuffie's Razor Ring shuriken's sharpened blades caught the sunlight as she twirled it in the air, before securing the weapon in her gloved fist. The butt of Cid's spear rang with a metallic echo as he slammed it against the rocky floor, and he placed his cigarette firmly behind his ear. Red XIII bared his fangs, and on his back Cait Sith adjusted his crown and smoothed his whiskers. Vincent calmly drew his short-barrelled gun and began to place bullets in the chamber.

Looking at his comrades, a peculiar feeling came over Barret. They seemed… incomplete. There were but six of them, not the party of nine they had been barely a month ago. Aeris was no longer with them, after being killed by Sephiroth and now resting in peace in the lake of the Forgotten City. Tifa had remained in Mideel to take care of Cloud.

Cloud… Now there was someone Barret had never expected to miss. Barret could not explain how, but the group seemed somewhat empty without him around. Every time Barret turned he expected to see the spiky-headed young man standing there, with a smirk and that cocky stance of his.

Even now, when Barret turned to face the reactor, he expected to see Cloud standing ahead of them all, Buster Sword in hand, and saying something really, really silly, like 'Let's mosey!'

A smile crossed Barret's face. He turned to the others once more. "All right, then!" he said, grinning widely. "Let's get 'em!"

That was all the others needed to hear. Together they emerged from their hiding place and made a dash for the reactor. The two soldiers at the entrance, startled by the sight of six well-armed fighters heading their way, almost dropped their guns in their surprise. One took a step forward, his eyes widening behind his visor.

"You guys are…!"

That was all the soldier managed to say before the Razor Ring struck his helmet, delivering a sounding blow that knocked the soldier off his feet and sent his gun skittering across the ground.

The second soldier, seeing his comrade slump to the ground, raised his gun. He did not even manage to raise it past his waist before a bullet pierced his shoulder, causing him to cry out and release the gun. He barely had time to look up before he saw the dark, glowering shadow of Barret fall over him. A fist connected with his helmet, and the soldier joined his comrade on the ground.

Quickly Red XIII and Vincent set about removing the unconscious forms of the Shinra soldiers from view. They each took one of the slumbering men (Red XIII grabbing the man's collar with his teeth) and dragged them around the side of the reactor.

When that was done, Cid placed his hands on his hips and surveyed the situation. That small conflict did not seem to have attracted any extra attention from Shinra. No more soldiers appeared from inside the reactor. It really did seem like they had placed only two soldiers on guard. He exhaled deeply.

"Guess we're safe for now…!"

Even as he spoke the silence was shattered by the sudden, deafening blare of a horn. Cid and the others froze on the spot, their eyes darting warily.

Red XIII raised his head and sniffed the air. Through the foul-smelling, metallic haze that always surrounded mako reactors, came a stronger, more intense scent that Red XIII could not identify. He took a few steps toward the large open doors of the reactor and sniffed again. The scent was coming from inside the reactor, along with a chug-chug sound. The ground began to tremble beneath his feet, as though something large and heavy was moving across the ground. He peered into the darkness. Suddenly his ears flattened against his head and he backed up a few steps.

"Ohh!"

Puzzled by the hound's sudden display of fright, Barret went over to look. He also backed up a pace, and if he had been physically able to do it, his ears would have flattened as well. "Da---mn!" he exclaimed.

The horn they had heard had come from a coal train, and it was this train that was now speeding toward them from inside the reactor. Even as they realised this the train was already reaching the exit, and it was all they could do to scramble out of the way and avoid being run over. It was such a close call they could feel the air rushing past them, throwing dirt into their eyes and making them cough. The train continued on past them, speeding across the tracks and into the mountains.

Once the train had passed, they climbed back onto their feet and looked down the tracks where it had gone.

"Looks like they're takin' off with the Huge Materia in that train!" said Cid.

"No!" Barret roared, running forward, his fists trembling. "You damn boneheads!"

"Did the Shinra beat us?" asked Red XIII, his head low.

Hearing the downbeat tone in Red XIII's voice, Cid walked to the front of the group and turned to face them all. His eyes were fierce. "Hey, do you know who I am?" he demanded tersely. "I'm Cid—that's who the hell I am! Now just let me handle it."

Shifting his spear to his other hand, Cid had a quick look around him. They needed to catch up to that train before it reached North Corel and Shinra escaped with the Huge Materia. The only way they could catch up to that train now was with something equally fast, like the airship, a car, or…

…Or another train.

Cid ran toward the reactor. The giant metal doors had remained open after the train passed through, and the interior was dark and empty. There were no Shinra soldiers around—the reactor was completely deserted. At Cid's feet were two sets of rail tracks, both of them leading into the reactor. Two tracks meant two trains. A sly smile spread on Cid's face, and he ran into the reactor.

Barret and the others looked at one another, puzzled as to what Cid had in mind. A moment later Cid called out to them, and they ran into the reactor after him.

Around the side of the reactor, one of the two Shinra soldiers stirred and slowly sat up. His head was thudding painfully, and he carefully unclipped the helmet and tugged it off his head. He moaned—he was going to have a terrible headache for a good while, he knew.

After checking his comrade, who remained unconscious on the ground, the Shinra soldier stood up. He almost fainted, his knees just about held their ground. With the back of his hand he wiped away a trickle of blood from his forehead and staggered around to the front of the reactor.

There was no sign of the wanted criminals. He had recognised them instantly—their faces had been burned into the minds of every Shinra soldier. Had they been caught?

The soldier stopped suddenly as the ground beneath his feet began to rumble. He looked down. Pebbles were beginning to dance along the ground, and a distant rumble like the roll of thunder could be heard inside the reactor. The Shinra soldier took a step closer toward the large doors as the rumbling grew louder.

He barely pulled back in time when the train burst out of the doors and knocked him to the ground. The soldier shielded his face with his hands as dust and dirt flew around him, blown up by the whirring wheels of the train. Blinded by the dust, he could see nothing. But he could hear perfectly well, and over the chug-chug-chug of the train he could hear a distinct, accented, smug-sounding voice.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey----!"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_Yeah, I know I keep saying this, but I will try and update a little more often. My passion for writing has died down a lot, but I DID promise I would finish this fic, and by the gods I WILL finish it. I've come this far, I'm not about to let my readers down by abandoning it._

_Do feel free to e-mail me and pester me to write more often, you know. Sometimes I forget I even have this fic to do, so a reminder wouldn't go amiss. Plus it reminds me that people want me to write and finish it._


	9. Part Eleven: Chapter 08

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Eight**

"Hey, hey, hey, hey----!"

It had been an immense stroke of luck that there was another coal train inside the Corel Reactor. It was unmanned and unguarded, and still in good working order despite not being used for a number of years (when Corel abandoned its coal production and took up excavating mako instead). Cid had now claimed ownership of the train, and now that train sped down the tracks in chase of the Shinra.

Cid Highwind stood at the controls, his face radiating the kind of righteous smugness that only those who knew they had a good idea can radiate. Gathered in the control car around him were Barret and the others. Red XIII, with Cait Sith still on his back, acted as lookout on top of the car, his keen eyes peeled for any sign of the Shinra train. His face still smug, Cid turned to face the others, awaiting their praise.

"I'm impressed," said Vincent, much to Cid's delight. "You can drive this, too…?"

The smile never left Cid's face. "Don't ask me… I don't know!" he admitted.

Vincent's red eyes widened in alarm. "Wha… what…!?"

"What!? You serious!?" demanded Yuffie. The others shared her sense of alarm—Cait Sith could be heard muttering and whimpering from overhead. Cid, on the other hand, did not seem in the least bit concerned. He dismissed their agitated faces with a casual wave and turned to face the controls, studying them meticulously.

"Don't worry!" he assured them, still smiling. "I can handle this kinda stuff! Two levers; one on the right and one on the left…"

He took hold of the two levers, grasping them firmly in his hands. The train was mostly self-powered, running on coal that burned hotly in the furnace at the back of the car. There appeared to be no other controls apart from these levers, which Cid assumed to be used for changing the speed of the train. He pulled the left lever back and pushed the right lever forward. He then reversed the process, pulling the right lever back while the left went forward. At this movement, the train gave a small shudder, and Cid got the impression that it had sped up a notch.

"I see," he muttered, mostly to himself, "just alternate the two levers up and down, right? Judging from the enemy's speed, I'd say it'll take about ten minutes." He glanced back at the others and grinned. "We're gonna fly!! Hold on tight!!"

Cid's estimations were a little short of the mark. It did not take them ten minutes to catch up to the Shinra train—in fact, it barely took them five minutes. This was nothing to do with Cid, who powered the levers back and forth with all the might he could muster. No, it was because the Shinra train had slowed down. While the tracks on the ground were still fairly secure, those tracks that crossed the fifty-foot chasm in the middle of the mountains were, in many places, in disrepair. With their valuable cargo on board, they could not risk their train dropping off into the chasm, and so they were forced to slow down.

Cid, however, was not so concerned about the state of the tracks. He was a knowledgeable pilot and knew a great deal about how things were built and structured. He estimated that the rail tracks_ could_ hold a speeding train, and to prove his point, (and ignoring the desperate pleas of Barret and the others for him to slow down) he charged the train across the tracks.

Out of everything the companions had faced over the weeks and months they had travelled together—facing Sephiroth, the emergence of Weapon, the appearance of Meteor in the sky—this single event probably ranked as the most frightening thing any of them had ever faced. Each one of them, in those terrifying moments where the coal train rumbled and trembled and wobbled over the rickety tracks, made a solemn, soul-binding pledge.

Never would they appoint Cid as leader again.

Whatever luck was on their side continued to hold, for after what seemed like an eternity (but was actually less than a minute) the train reached the other side of the chasm and was back on the solid ground. Had Cid glanced around at this point, he would have found four pairs of eyes glaring at him (it would have been five pairs, but Yuffie was indisposed at the side of the train, bringing up the contents of her lunch).

There was no time for arguments and threats at this point, for now the Shinra train was just ahead of them, and they were gaining fast. Cait Sith slid off Red XIII's back and jumped down into the car.

"We're right behind them," the cat informed them. "It'd be best if we jumped from this train onto theirs from the back, and make our way up to the front."

"Why not just ride up to the cabin and jump straight in and stop the train?" asked Cid, grunting with the effort of shifting the levers back and forth.

Cait Sith shook his head. "There are Shinra soldiers on this train," he said. "If we try to come up alongside them, they will shoot at us as we pass, and we'll all be dead before we can even reach the cabin. If we come up behind and jump onto their train from there, we can work our way along. The soldiers can't risk shooting at us without causing damage to the train or the Huge Materia."

"You'd better make up your minds!" called Red XIII from above. The hound was shifting restlessly. "We've almost caught up to them!"

Cait ran to the side of the car and hopped up onto a crate of coal by the window. The wind from outside ruffled his fur. "Trust me on this," he insisted.

Cid glanced at the window, where the back end of the Shinra train was coming into view. His arms were burning. He doubted he could keep powering the train long enough to reach the cabin anyway. No doubt the Shinra knew they were being chased and would speed up any second now. Sweat trickled down his face. Finally, he nodded.

"Go!" he ordered.

Everyone climbed up to join Red XIII on the top of the car, all except for Cid, who remained in the control room. He thrust the levers with all his strength, urging the train along, until their car was directly alongside the rear car of the Shinra train.

Red XIII made the jump first, leaping across the gap between the two trains. The rear car of the Shinra train was filled with coal, and as he landed the black lumps skittered and slid. Red XIII staggered, his black claws digging through the coal, trying to find a foothold. The fact that the car was moving made this difficult, so he scurried along with his belly scraping the floor to the edge of the car to give the others room to jump.

Yuffie came next, overcoming her motion sickness just long enough to make the jump. Her agile body made the jump seem effortless, and she landed without toppling, joining Red XIII. Cait Sith clung to Barret's large frame as he jumped the gap. His heavy boots sank an inch into the coal, covering them with black soot.

Vincent remained perched on the edge of the car. He raised his head and looked down the Shinra car. Their approach had been noticed—there were soldiers massing near the front of the train. He turned to Cid. "Cid, hurry!" he urged him.

The pilot needed no prompting. After a few more arm-breaking thrusts on the levers, he let them go and began to scramble up onto the roof of the car. Vincent aided him by grabbing his arm and pulling the pilot up onto the roof. Now that the levers were unmanned, the train was steadily beginning to slow down. Quickly the two men leaped from the car, landing on the opposite train as theirs slipped behind them.

"Quickly!" Barret shouted over the roar of the train. "We can't be far from Corel. Make your way to the front of the train!"

No one needed prompting. They were already moving, drawing their weapons and climbing over the edge of the car. The next car, and the ones that followed it, were all covered in heavy, opaque netting. There was something under this netting—the surface was bumpy and there were sharp bits poking up from underneath. There was little time to wonder what was beneath the netting, however, for their troubles lay ahead of them, not underneath.

A small number of Shinra soldiers, only four in total, had assembled in the car behind the control car. Three of the soldiers took up positions on top of the car and raised their rifles, aiming at the advancing intruders. The fourth stood just behind them, apparently fumbling with some sort of control panel.

Red XIII and Yuffie had just climbed into the next car when the three soldiers opened fire. A hail of bullets whizzed through the air and thudded against the car. Yuffie and Red XIII threw themselves to the floor, hugging the net and feeling the whoosh of bullets zipping over their heads.

Barret and the others, still in the rear car, also dropped to the ground. While the bullets rained overhead, Vincent calmly unscrewed the short-barrel of his gun and replaced it with a longer barrel, designed to shoot targets from further away. After snapping it into place, he rolled onto his front and peered over the edge of the car.

"Yuffie! Red XIII! Stay down!" he called, and then opened fire.

Vincent was an excellent marksman, and even shooting while on a fast-moving train could not alter his aim. He took down the first two soldiers with ease, shooting them in the legs so that they buckled and, consequently, slipped off the side of the train. The third shot missed as the train rounded a bend, but the next shot hit its mark, and the soldier fell off the train with a cry.

The fourth soldier finally completed what he was doing. He gave a triumphant yell as he raised the control panel up and slammed his fist down hard on a large green button. His triumph ended there as a fourth and final bullet struck him in the chest. The soldier slumped silently out of sight. The group rose to their feet, believing the path to the cabin was now clear.

They were badly mistaken. It was not just the Huge Materia the Shinra were escorting from the Corel Reactor. Also on the train, hidden by the heavy netting, were some of the Weapons Development Department's new weapons. It was one of these new weapons that the soldier had activated just before Vincent shot him down. It was one of these weapons that was now straining against its trappings in order to break free. The pegs holding the net in place broke away with a loud ping, and the net was blown away by the rushing wind.

The weapon emerged from its holdings and into the light. It was known by Shinra as the Eagle Gun, a name that was quite fitting considering its design. It was built in the shape of a giant eagle, made out of the strongest metals that Shinra could find. Its body was totally covered in this metal casing, leaving it almost impregnable. In flight it was more than two metres from wingtip to wingtip, perhaps even three.

The wingtips were designed to spread out and forward, ending in powerful gun barrels. The Eagle Gun could fire bullets from either one or both of its giant wings, and the barrels could shift positions at will, aiming at more than one target at once. The bullets were made from a condensed form of mako energy, though they were not anywhere near condensed enough to be considered materia bullets. The weapon's 'heart' was a concentrated source of mako energy, located in the middle of its back where the wings joined onto the body.

Standing in the gushing wind, the group stared.

"Ah… so that's what Scarlet's been working on…" muttered Cait under his breath.

The Eagle Gun stretched its giant wings and hopped up onto the edge of the car. The entire train shuddered at its movement. Raising its head, it screeched. The sound was piercing and hurt their ears; they had to clamp their hands over them to blot out the awful sound. The Eagle Gun then flapped its wings and rose from the train and up into the air. It rose high and circled the train.

Cid cursed. "We don't have time for this!" he shouted, looking up at the giant metal bird circling above them. "This train could reach Corel any minute! Get moving, people!"

On his orders, the group began to move forward down the train. Their eyes continued to stray constantly up toward the sky, where the Eagle Gun was circling high above them.

"Cait," said the pilot as he scrabbled over the netting in the next car, "what is that thing?"

Cait shook his head. "I don't know," the cat answered truthfully. "This is a new design. I haven't seen—"

"Heads up!" roared Barret, rising to his feet.

The Eagle Gun had finished circling and was now descending in a swift dive. It screeched again and twisted its wingtip gun barrels forward. Its metallic eyes glowed red, and then it let loose a stream of mako bullets.

Bullets zipped and pinged off the cars of the train, sparking with electric light. The group on the cars shielded themselves as best they could from the fire, but it was only mere luck that none of them were hit directly. A moving train was a hard target to hit, but more than one of those mako bullets landed uncomfortably close. Seconds after the shadow of the bird fell over them as it passed by overhead.

Barret rose to his feet and fired back at the bird. The bullets struck the bird on its metal frame, but did nothing other than bounce off the surface. Barret stopped and stared, then his face twisted in rage and he let off another stream of bullets, as though sheer willpower alone would make them hit.

Cait Sith shook his head again. "It's no use. That metal is reinforced with mako. It's almost impregnable."

"Almost…" said Vincent softly.

"That's right." Cait turned and looked up at him. "The major flaw with the recent designs of the Weapons Development department is that they all use a vast supply of mako—as well as money. Scarlet spends huge amounts creating this impenetrable armour, so much in fact that she has little left to defend the other, more vital parts of the weapon. That is the key to defeating her weapons, if you get my meaning."

"I see…" said Vincent.

"Well, I don't," Yuffie grumbled inside the next car. "What are you two on about?"

"Lass, you have no imagination!" Cait admonished, smirking as Yuffie popped her head up from over the edge of the car and scowled at him menacingly. He waved a finger at her. "It's simple biology, Yuffie. Think about it. What is the most vital part of the human body?"

The ninja screwed her face up in thought, and then she grinned. "The brain!" she said triumphantly.

"Well, yes, the brain," admitted Cait. "But also… the _heart._ Scarlet places her power source in the _heart_ of the weapon, much like a regular monster. This is where all the power comes from, and is also the place where the armour is at its weakest. Aim for the heart, and you defeat the monster. Or weapon."

"…I see…"

Vincent turned to look down the train. Time was ticking by. It would no doubt be a matter of minutes before the train reached the outer limits of Corel. Turning the other way, he looked up at the Eagle Gun. It was beginning to swerve in the sky, preparing for another dive.

The problem with this weapon was the armour. The armour would deflect regular bullets, and Vincent had no doubt that the armour was also resistant to most magics, making their Ice and Fire materia practically useless. It was also a moving target, so getting a direct hit to the heart of the machine would be a difficult one. If only they could make it slow down or stop for a brief moment, then he could…

"Cid," said Vincent, shifting across the coals to join the pilot, who was watching the bird fly through the skies. The pilot nodded his acknowledgement. "Tell me," Vincent asked him softly, "do you still have the Gravity materia?"

The pilot looked at him, baffled. Then he checked his equipment. There was but one materia slot on his spear, located just beneath the head. In it was, as Vincent had hoped, the Gravity materia. "It's here," Cid replied. "Why?"

Vincent quickly relayed his plan.

"Hmph, it might just work," Cid conceded as he handed over his spear. "I'll leave Red XIII with you, too, just in case." Hearing his name, Red XIII hopped back into the car and joined Vincent. Vincent nodded in agreement. Cid gave him a pat on the shoulder, then stood up and faced his friends.

"All right, people!" he shouted over the roar of the wind. "I want you sissies to come with me! We're gonna make a run for the front of the train. Get a move on, people!"

Once again, on his command, Yuffie, Barret, and Cait Sith jumped up and began to dash to the front of the train. Yuffie, tired of scrabbling like a thief over the bumpy netting, leapt up onto the metal rim of the car and ran along that, her nimble body moving swiftly and with practised ease. Barret eyed her jealously, knowing that if he tried that he would tumble and fall over the edge of the train.

A single loud screech was all that heralded the Eagle Gun's attack. The screech was immediately followed by the loud _ping-ping_ of bullets as they hit the rocky ground behind the train, gaining in volume as they drew nearer. Yuffie shrieked and covered her head, expecting at any moment to be shredded to pieces by gunfire.

Thankfully this fate was not to pass, for Red XIII and Vincent were already in position and ready to attack. Wielding Cid's spear in his metal-gloved hand, Vincent activated the Gravity materia and hurled the weapon into the air just as the Eagle Gun flew within range. He held his breath. If the spear did not hit its mark, then he and Red XIII would be cut to ribbons before they could even turn to run.

The spear soared through the air, its tip shrouded in purple light emanating from the glowing materia. The spear struck its target, lodging as hoped in one of the ridges between the metal plates of the Eagle Gun's left wing. Upon contact the Gravity materia glowed brighter, and the purple light began to spread until the Eagle Gun's left side became enclosed in it. The air surrounding the Eagle Gun wavered. It slowed down, a little, matching the train's speed, and even dropped a few metres out of the air, pulled by the gravitational force that was holding it. Even the bullets stopped, the machine's reaction time slowed by the force.

With the machine momentarily incapacitated, Vincent raised his gun and fired at what he hoped was the source of its power. The bullets pummelled the front of the machine's chest, denting the metal but not piercing it. Vincent fired again and again, and Red XIII helped by unleashing a powerful stream of flame from his own Fire materia.

The metal glowed white-hot, then snapped with a loud _ping._ The metal casing fell away, revealing the machine's inner core. A single glass sphere, about the size of a tennis ball, glowed brightly. Mako pulsed through it like a heartbeat. Vincent took aim and fired.

One shot was all it took. The glass shattered, and mako poured out of the open wound, falling like luminescent green blood out of the weapon's body. The Eagle Gun gave an outraged, almost pained shriek. Red XIII finished the job by letting loose another quick blast of fire, and the machine exploded in a cloud of flame. Hot metal and drops of warm mako fell through the air, showering them like rain.

Cid's spear, thrown clear by the explosion, spun in the air toward them. Red XIII leapt into the air and caught the spear in his mouth, his teeth clamped around it. The Gravity materia glowed brightly, and then faded back to its normal glow.

The remains of the Eagle Gun dropped to the ground. A thick cloud of smoke billowed into the air. Vincent sheathed his gun and turned away from the wreckage, which was already beginning to shrink as the train continued on its way.

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE**_

_Well, here's another chapter for you. I hope you like it._

_I know I only chose the Eagle Gun for the monster to fight on the train. I figured that by this point the train would be close to Corel so there would be no time for an epic all-out three-monster battle. That and the Wolfmeister is too big to really be of any use on a train and I couldn't even begin to describe the Gas Ducter. What IS that thing? So I opted for just the one, the Eagle Gun._

_I also couldn't make the battle as interesting as I would have liked—I had these visions of Yuffie and Vincent charging down the sides of the cars while bullets rained around them, Yuffie throwing her shuriken into the creature while Vincent shot it to pieces (because we all know from Advent Children that they can be dramatic like that!)_. _Ended up not working quite like that, but when you're short of time to fight you have to work with what you have, so I chose a quick, simple ending for the Eagle Gun. I hope it worked._

_I also realised that the Fort Condor section is coming up. *sag* I hate that section… I only ever play this part to get the Phoenix materia. Oh well. Expect to see a lot of improvisation in this bit, because I might just play around with the battle a bit. Like the mercenaries you hire… I might alter these to actual people that have been hired, rather than whatever the hell half of those things are you actually fight with._


	10. Part Eleven: Chapter 09

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Nine**

Only one soldier remained in the front car when Cid, Yuffie, Cait and Barret finally reached it. He had remained at his post while his comrades went forth to bring down the rebels. The sound of the wind and the train kept him from hearing what was going on. He heard the Eagle Gun roar into life, and its screech nearly burst his eardrums. As he heard the gunfire, he relaxed. The rebels would not be able to stand up to firepower like that, he was sure.

So he was surprised when he felt a hard tap on his shoulder and turned to see Barret standing over him. Around him were the other rebels, staring at the soldier with a quiet malice.

"What the!" the soldier gasped, startled. "You… you guys!" The soldier was horrified. These guys should have been dead by now!

Barret took a step forward. The soldier stepped back warily. The former AVALANCHE leader loomed over him, grinning malevolently. He touched a button on his gun-arm, and the chainsaw atop it whirred noisily. The soldier paled beneath his helmet.

Cid came forward to stand beside Barret. "All right—" he said, his tone sharp, "—Just hand over the Huge Materia!"

The soldier took another step back. The chainsaw on Barret's gun-arm spoke volumes. Desperate, he reached for his rifle.

He only managed to fire one shot before he was struck a powerful blow to the stomach. His rifle clattered to the floor as he keeled over, cursing and groaning in pain. Strong hands then lifted him up into the air and he was thrown over the side of the train. The soldier's cry was cut short as he hit the ground and rolled out of sight.

The bullet, thrown off-course due to the soldier's terror, widely missed Barret's head.

Cid cracked his knuckles and kicked the fallen rifle to the side of the train. He ran a hand through his blond hair. "You got guts comin' after me!" said the pilot, with an air of satisfaction. "I'll never forget you."

"Got no time for that now!" snapped Barret.

Yuffie was leaning over the side of the train. Her face, already pale from probable motion-sickness, was ghost-white. "Forget about the Huge Materia," she said. It was a statement that, under normal circumstances, would have made everyone faint with shock. The ninja pulled away from the edge. "WE'RE in deep trouble!"

Cid arched an eyebrow and turned to look down the tracks. The train was hurtling through the mountains at an alarming rate. The tracks at this stage were still straight, so there was little danger of them derailing. What was the problem then? Cid raised his eyes and looked further ahead.

Up ahead was North Corel. The train was heading straight for the town, and there was nobody left on board who could stop the train. They had just thrown the driver overboard.

Ah. So that was the problem.

Vincent, back from his battle with the Eagle Gun, knelt down at the edge of the car. The wind was whipping his hair around his face. He had to raise his voice to be heard over the roaring wind.

"Hit the breaks, chief."

Angered, Cid spun around. "I know, already! Just shut up and keep quiet!" He turned back to the controls. "If we keep this up, we'll crash right into North Corel! Let's see…" He inspected the control box. They were more complex than the other train, but they had the same two levers, currently in line with one another. Cid scratched his stubbled chin, thoughtful.

"If we alternately use the levers to accelerate…" he mused, ignoring the impatient muttering coming from Barret. "It should break if we move the levers up or down simultaneously." He took hold of the two levers, grasped them firmly, and then pulled them back.

There was a chug and the train sped up. The increase was so sudden that Cid and the others almost fell over and were forced to hold onto the side of the car to keep from falling over. Vincent and Red XIII, on top of the next car, had to cling onto the tarpaulin.

"Hey, it's not working!" Barret shouted to Cid.

"We're gaining speed!" Red XIII howled from the next car.

Cait Sith was clinging to the ears of his Mog, which had secured itself in the corner of the car. He, however, was having a harder time holding on. "Hey---------WAIT!" he screamed. "…Other way, other way, other way!"

The train lurched as it bumped its way over a cluster of rocks littering the track. Yuffie began to retch and sank to her knees. Cid, clinging to the controls, looked up and saw North Corel zooming in fast.

"^%#!" he swore through gritted teeth. "The other way! Just watch, this time I'll…" He gripped the levers again and pushed them both to their upward positions.

Once again the train's speed increased, and this time they all DID fall over. Vincent lost his grip on the tarpaulin and slid back across the tarpaulin. He managed to regain his hold at the edge of the car, and there he held on with all the strength that he could muster.

"WHOOOOOO----A!!" Red XIII cried. His claws were dug deep into the tarpaulin, and were aching with the strain.

Yuffie flashed Cid a furious, wild-eyed gaze. She was still on the floor of the car, her hands holding onto the edge with a death-like grip. Her anger and fear, it seemed, were the only things stopping her from throwing up in the car.

"Get serious, you OLD MAN!"

Cid was feeling mighty flustered himself. "Shi---------!!" His eyes hurriedly scanned the controls, looking for something—ANYTHING—that would stop this blasted train before it smashed into the town (and thereby smashing them up along with it). His fist smashed over the first thing he laid his eyes on: a small, nondescript grey button next to the levers.

The horn sounded. Smoke poured out of the funnel, choking the valley with a covering of thick, black clouds. The train began to decrease in speed and all had to cover their ears as the wheels scraped across the tracks. The train slowed and slowed until, finally, it came to a stop before the town of North Corel. The front of the train bumped into the back of a rusty old pickup truck, knocking a spanner off its back. But it could have been much worse.

Now stopped, the valves on the side of the train opened, releasing the pent up steam. Almost like a sigh of relief.

Cautiously Cid opened his eyes. In the last moments before the train came to a stop, he had clung to the controls and squeezed his eyes shut. Realising that he wasn't about to be smashed to pieces, he quickly stood up and brushed himself off. Of course the train would stop. There was no need to worry.

The others were still rising to their feet. Yuffie managed to make it halfway up before she finally succumbed to her motion-sickness and began to throw up over the edge of the train. Cait lumbered over to her and had the Mog pat her gently on the back.

Red XIII jumped into the control car and padded over to a small metal box in the corner. The box was being held in place through the use of Gravity materia, so when the train was chugging along, the box and its contents remained secure. The materia gave the box a purple-black aura, which faded once the materia was removed, making it and its contents accessible. A key had been left in the lock. Red XIII gripped the key between his teeth and turned his head, and there was a click as the box unlocked. Then, with his nose, he pushed the lid open, and everyone gathered around to look. Even Yuffie, still pale and shaky, turned her head.

Inside the box was the Huge Materia, and it was easy to see how it got its name. Most materia, like the ones they used, had been fashioned into the shape of small orbs, easily inserted into things like weapons and armour to give them power. This materia was much larger, more than twice the size of the orbs, and had no definitive shape at all. It was jagged and rough, with multiple sides, as though it had been dug out of the rock. Its colour was thick and green, totally opaque, though its sides had a faint shimmer to them. It was reminiscent of the way a gemstone appears when it is first cut from the rocks, and only after careful crafting and polishing does it appear as the beautiful gemstone.

No one uttered a word. There were no words that could describe their awe as they looked upon the Huge Materia. It was no wonder Shinra were so eager to get their hands on it. The power they felt pulsing within it was incredible; a completely different class to the regular materia they used.

Cid pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. Carefully he scooped up the Huge Materia. It was surprisingly cold to touch, and also surprisingly light. He put it back in the box and locked it again, placing the key in his jacket pocket. Then, carrying his precious cargo under his arm, descended from the train.

All the townsfolk had left their shops and homes and were watching with great interest. As Cid and his friends came near, those on the higher levels began to climb down towards the town centre. Barret appeared edgy as they approached the town.

"You guys are really something!" one man said as they passed. They stopped in the town centre, and two men from the midlevel came down to meet them. Barret became more anxious as they approached but he stood firm, refusing to let the memory of his past actions get the better of him. The two men stopped before the group and looked them over.

"Aren't you the ones that stopped the Shinra Train?" asked one of the men, a rotund man who had once been a coalminer. "The Shinra was just about to destroy our lives again…"

The second man, who had a sharp face and features, narrowed his eyes at Barret. "It might be full of junk, but this is the only home we got, Barret!!"

Barret was startled as this was directed at him. "Of… of course!" he agreed. He met the man's gaze. "We're all born and raised in the coal mines!! No matter how hard it gets, our hearts burn bright red like coal!"

He waited to see how his words were taken. The two men shared a glance with each other. The bigger man was smiling broadly. The eyes of the second man softened. He turned back to Barret and nodded his head. That was enough for them.

He waited to see how his words were taken. The two men shared a glance with each other. The bigger man was smiling broadly, and the eyes of the second man softened and he slowly nodded his head.

"To hell with Meteor!" shouted one of the townsmen. "We're Coal Miners, ain't we? We'll dig a deep tunnel and hide from the Meteor!

"That's it!" said the rotund man. He turned his gaze to a brown-haired boy who was stood watching on the midlevel. "Hey, kid! How about givin' somethin' to these guys fightin' the Shinra?"

The lad nodded and walked down to the lower level. His young face was beaming, filled with excitement. He had never seen anything so thrilling. Fishing about in his pockets, he pulled out a small orb of materia. "I got it out of the well. Isn't it an amazing rock!!"

Cid took the materia from the child. The materia was Ultima. He was quite relieved the child had chosen to give them this materia, for who knows what damage he could have done had he figured out how to use it. He smiled at the kid, who beamed further and stepped back to join the adults. The sharp-faced man stepped forward.

"Must've been a horrific battle. You have scars all over your body." He jerked his thumb to the stone building on the midlevel. "I already talked to the Inn's owner, today you can rest for free."

It was a welcome offer. The battles on the train had indeed worn them out, and their bodies were scratched and bruised from clambering over the cars. Yuffie flashed Cid a challenging glance, daring him to refuse. Red XIII's stomach growled; he was eager for a meal. Of course it was nearly impossible to tell what Cait and Vincent were thinking, but Cid guessed even they would be glad of a rest before they returned to the Highwind.

So they remained in North Corel for the rest of that day, until the sun began to make its downward dip into the eastern ocean. They rested up in the inn and ate with the townsfolk, who offered thanks and congratulations at every opportunity.

The one who was moved most by it all was Barret. For long years he had berated and punished himself for what had happened to the people of Corel: the burning of the town, the death of his wife… and that of Dyne.

He had tried to mask that guilt by attacking the Shinra, vowing to make them pay for what they had done. He still held that vow, but now he knew that to blame himself was fruitless. He could not change the past, but he had changed North Corel's future. The town was saved this time.

It was then, as he and the others left North Corel behind and made their way back to the Highwind, that Barret Wallace made another vow. Once Sephiroth was defeated and Shinra had fallen, he would return to North Corel. He would return to that spot where he and Dyne had stood overlooking the town as it burned to the ground, where memories and loves went up in flames.

And there, in that spot, he would place a bouquet of flowers. In memory of Myrna, of Dyne and Eleanor, the town… and in hope for Marlene's future.

Back on the Highwind, Cid stood and tapped his head in thought.

"What's next?" he wondered. "Shall we head for Fort Condor?"

The others nodded. Barret watched North Corel as it slipped out of view, and the Highwind turned to the ocean.

Of course, he'd be damned if he ever told the others.

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

See, I still exist. This chapter took longer to finish because I needed the FMV for North Corel Succeed to use as a reference, and I kept forgetting to look it up. All hail Blue Laguna for its easy accessibility. *bows in reverence*

Now THIS is where the trouble begins. Fort Condor… The bane of my life, and probably my least favourite part of the game, which is another reason work slowed. Once Cloud's back in the party I'll probably start whizzing through it again. Anyone else noticed that? Once Cloud left my writing kind of slowed down? So I'm of the theory that once Cloud's back I should speed up again. 8D

I'm still determined to keep my promise. I shall not let this fic die! *RAWR*

How many years have I been working on this now…? I first started the original version when I was about 17… I'm now 24… oh boy. *raises flag of SHAME* Must work harder.


	11. Part Eleven: Chapter 10

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

_Just a quick message to say I have rewritten this whole chapter. I was never happy with how it originally turned out, so I redrafted the whole thing._

_And also, in response to one review I got, I have made the chapter longer and begun the battle for Fort Condor here. You have no idea how hard it was trying to come up with the perfect way to start this battle. I kept starting and restarting, trying to come up with the most believable and authentic way to begin._

_I was also toying with the idea of actually characterising the mercenaries. I even had a name for one: Cirran (he was meant to remind them of Cloud). In the end I ditched the idea, fearing that was straying too far from my original goal of an authentic novelisation. I hope no one minds about the originality prior to the battle._

_Anyway, I hope you like the redraft. I'll shut up and get to work on the next part._

* * *

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Ten**

"Cloud…… I don't understand a word he's saying……" Tifa murmured softly.

She was speaking to herself. The doctor and his assistant were in the room next door, discussing who knew what. They were worried about her, she knew, for she had slept little and had returned to the hospital that morning pale and drawn. The concern had been visible in their eyes.

Tifa sank wearily into her chair and gently took hold of Cloud's hand. There had been no change in his condition; the mako-poisoning remained. His face was still pale and his eyes remained glazed and unseeing. His words were garbled, like he was trying to speak but couldn't quite make the words take form. At times, usually when she was nodding off, Tifa fancied she could see recognition in his blue eyes, but it was just her imagination.

Another thing she knew was that the doctor was more worried about her than he was for Cloud. Despite his assurances and kind words, Tifa knew what his real thoughts were. To him, Cloud was already lost. He and the nurse did everything they could, but in truth they believed it was only a matter of time.

Despite her efforts, Tifa was beginning to believe it as well. It was beginning to look like nothing would be able to rouse Cloud from his feverish hell. She had tried talking to him. She told him stories of their childhood. She talked about the day she arrived in Midgar, and how she met Barrett and the other members of AVALANCHE. She talked of the Seventh Heaven, and of Marlene. She tried to talk of Nibelheim, but each time she tried Sephiroth's words rung like giant bells in her heart, and she found herself unable to carry on.

"I'm such a fool……" Tifa said sadly, her head sinking to her chest. Her dark hair fell over her face, hiding the tears that were welling in her eyes. She closed her fingers tightly around Cloud's hand. "I thought there was something I could do for him……"

A soft, almost inaudible muttering made her lift her head. She watched as Cloud rolled his head to one side, away from her. His eyes were wide and unblinking, seeing a world only he could see. "Uh……a……aah……" he croaked, his throat dry. "……What…… what number…… am I?"

Tifa fought back the tears and continued her solitary vigil.

* * *

"Hmmn, now this is something," said the old man, nursing a freshly made mug of tea with aged, gnarled hands. "I never thought anyone would ever climb up here." Lifting the mug to his lips, he took a long, deep gulp. When he was done, he put the mug down on the old oak table and leaned back in his chair to take in the group of youngsters who were gathered before him. "Any minute now, this will be a battlefield against Shinra. You'd better get down before you get involved."

Cid's brow furrowed. "A battlefield? We can't overlook that."

Behind him, Barret cursed. "Shinra? The hell those jackasses doing here?"

"Shinra again." Red XIII sighed and shook his head.

The old man raised an eyebrow. "It appears you have a problem with Shinra, too," he said. He did not seem surprised at this. There were few people in the world these days who supported Shinra. He picked up his mug again and took another long sip, and Cid suspected there was more than just tea in there. "After all, you climbed up here," the old man continued when he put the mug down again. "Why not listen to what I have to say for a moment?"

"All right, talk on!" said Cid. He reached for a cigarette.

"Do you know what's at the top of this mountain?"

Cid stopped in the middle of lighting a match and gave the man a level stare. Was this a trick question? It was not hard to miss what stood on top of the mountain.

The settlement in which they stood was built on top of a small mountain in the southern part of the Condor Plains, about half an hour's flight from the port town of Junon. It was originally built and owned by Shinra, and house one of the company's first and oldest mako reactors.

The reactor was built on the mountain's peak. On a clear day it could be seen from miles away, another eyesore on the face of the Planet.

Also on the mountaintop was the reason for which the settlement had gotten its name. A giant condor lived there, perched on top of the reactor. The condor had made its nest there after Shinra left, and it had been there ever since. Because of this, the people of the settlement fondly referred to their home as 'Fort Condor'.

The people currently living in Fort Condor had made the settlement their home not long after Shinra had left. The citizens were made up of all types—farmers, builders, merchants. Even then, it was a far from easy life. The withered land surrounding the mountain made it difficult for farmers; they had to travel a few miles out to reach fertile land. It was worse for the builders and the merchants, who had to travel as far as Junon to conduct their business. But the people of the settlement were happy. They had lived happily and peacefully for many years with hardly any trouble from the Shinra, who seemed to have forgotten about the reactor. Now it seemed things had changed.

Barret crossed his arms. "Huh? Something's up there?" Besides a reactor and a condor, he wanted to add, but didn't.

"No matter how you look at it, that's a reactor," said Cid. "And on top of it, is that the Condor?"

"I can see you're very perceptive. Yes, it's a reactor and a condor." The old man smiled broadly, pleased that they had remembered the condor living on top of the mountain. "Looks like there's a special materia up in the Mako reactor. Then came the condor, so Shinra dispatched troops to get rid of it." His face flushed red, and his hands gripped the mug tightly. "Their plan is to get rid of the condor and the people on this mountain and to get the materia from the Mako Reactor.

"Unfortunately, we don't have the ability to fight Shinra ourselves," the old man continued with a sigh. "That's why we have hired soldiers to help us. As our sponsor you can help us with a contribution or by fighting alongside of us…" He looked up at Cid, his eyes bright and eager. "What do you think? You want to join us in our fight?"

Cid put his cigarette back in its packet and scratched his head. He had to admit: he was touched by the old man's story. It further proved the lengths that Shinra were prepared to go to achieve their goals. Not content with destroying the settler's livelihoods, they were also prepared to destroy the condor, which had made this place its home. Cid was far from being the sentimental type, but even he found himself sharing the old man's anger.

"If you go that far, what can I say," he said, turning to look at the others for their opinion. The looks on their faces said it all. It was a unanimous decision. Cid turned back to the old man. "Well, we'll be able to do something if you leave it up to us."

"Hey! We'll come to the rescue!" said Barret. He was already fired up, excited at the thought of battling Shinra one-to one. The events of North Corel had been a pleasant distraction, but there had not been enough soldiers to satisfy Barret. A full-on onslaught against an army of soldiers… that was more like it!

Red XIII nodded and flexed his long, black claws, scraping them against the rock. "Got it. I'm gonna lend a hand, too."

The old man smiled once more and returned his attention to his mug of tea. Cid and the others made a quick circuit of the settlement before making their way up to the battlements, which was situated at the top of the mountain near the reactor. It was not really a battlement so much as a wooden hut with slitted windows. It did provide a good view of the land surrounding the settlement, with the view stretching as far as the western ocean.

The lookout was already waiting for them. Word of their cooperation had already spread among the villagers, no doubt thanks to the old man and his suspicious mug of tea. The lookout was a tall, burly man in his early thirties, with a bald head and skin that was deeply tanned from months of working in the sun. A crafter by trade, he had been forced to take up other work in these times of unrest. Although he stood as tall as Barret, he had to stand on a stool to see out the windows.

"So shall I let you in on our strategy?" the lookout asked once the introductions had been made. "The enemy is targeting this mountain's reactor and will be climbing to reach it. We must set a trap and hire soldiers to protect the place."

He turned to the window and signalled for Cid to join him. Cid climbed onto the stool next to him and looked out. Gathered outside were a small handful of mercenaries, no more than five in total. Cid turned and cast the lookout a sceptical glance.

"Well, this is all we have……" The lookout seemed embarrassed. "This village doesn't have any money. Even if we wanted to fight, our hands are tied 'cause we're broke. To hire one soldier, we need 400 gil. So, if we hire 20 soldiers, we must have 8000 gil." He scratched his bald head. "That is, we would like you to use your own money to hire these soldiers, buy the trap, set it up and give the commands."

Cid shot him another sceptical glance. The lookout simply smiled back at him shamefacedly. Cid sighed heavily. What the people of Fort Condor were really looking for was somebody with enough money to fund _and_ fight their battle for them. For a brief moment Cid regretted agreeing to help them. It wasn't as though they were broke – they had plenty of money stored in the Highwind – but he didn't particularly want to waste their money hiring soldiers.

"We know that what we're asking is selfish," the lookout added quickly, seeing the look on Cid's face. "We sent our wives and kids to another village. We are resigned to our fate."

Cid flushed guiltily. It seemed there was no other option. They would have to fight.

The lookout brightened. "Let's get back to square one. If the enemy penetrates this shed, you'll have to fight them off immediately. I know it's a one-shot deal, but I'm asking for your help. Now then, is there anything you wish to ask?"

"Enough," said Cid, sighing. There was nothing else that needed to be said. The few mercenaries that they had managed to find were already here and, judging by the anxious look on everyone's faces, it would not be long before Shinra arrived and the onslaught began. There was no time left to find more fighters, and Cid doubted the villages would join in the battle. It was up to them to protect Fort Condor.

The lookout turned to the window. His expression turned serious, and he looked over his shoulder at Cid. "Ready?" he asked.

Cid also looked out. Far in the distance, marching steadily towards them across the Condor Plains, was the Shinra army. They were a black mark on the green countryside, a perfect match for the other eyesore that was the mako reactor on top of the hill, which doubled as a dark beacon for the Shinra army to follow. Cid pursed his lips tightly and closed his fingers around his spear.

"Okay, ready," he said.

"This is the deciding battle," the lookout said, a nervous tremor in his voice. "The enemy numbers more than ever before."

* * *

It was less than an hour before the Shinra army reached Fort Condor. Due to the steepness of the mountainside on which the fort rested, the army had been forced to march round to the southern side. Here the ground was smoother and easier to climb, making it the perfect striking point for the army.

It was clear that Shinra did not expect to meet with much resistance from the villagers. They had sent only a single platoon, marching fifty strong, to fight for control of the settlement. The army was mostly being used as a show of force, an attempt to intimidate the villagers and force them to surrender. Of course, the army would have no trouble in eliminating any who were foolish enough to try and defend the settlement.

Marching along with the army was one of the Weapons Development Department's proudest creations. To Cid and the others, standing on top of Fort Condor, it looked like a large robot. In reality it was a highly advanced battle suit, designed by Scarlet herself. It stood twice the size of the ordinary soldiers, was heavily plated, and carried stronger weaponry than all of the soldiers put together. Inside the suit was an ordinary soldier, likely the general in charge of the attack force.

Scarlet had never liked SOLDIER. They held no use for her. It did not matter how much mako they had been infused with, or how 'advanced' they were in the eyes of Hojo and the rest of the Science Department; they were still ordinary little people in Scarlet's eyes. A soldier's true strength, she believed, lay in the power of the weapon he held in his hands. The battle suit was one of her proudest creations.

It certainly had its desired effect on the men of Fort Condor. The villagers were not cowards; they had managed to fend off Shinra attacks on their settlement before. But the sight of the battle suit, along with the rest of the Shinra platoon, preparing to march up the mountain towards them, left more than one feeling a little nervous.

Red XIII padded up beside Cid, who was watching the army assemble at the foot of the mountain from outside the hut. "I have spoken with the mercenaries," he said in his soft voice. "They have agreed to go along with your plan. They don't have much materia of their own, so they will provide a frontline attack along with Vincent, Barret and I. Yuffie and Cait Sith will stay near the top of the mountain to provide materia support and activate the traps." He smiled. "It took a while to get Yuffie to agree."

Cid said nothing. He continued to watch the army.

The hound followed his gaze. The army was almost assembled. The sound of the general's voice could be heard even from up here. He was issuing commands to his men, who were hurrying to get into position. It would not be long before they began to climb the mountain. There were fifty soldiers in all, and only eleven of them, including the mercenaries. Red XIII sat down on his haunches, and his tail began to swish and sway through the dirt.

"We are grievously outnumbered," he admitted reluctantly, "but we do have the advantage." He gazed around. "The terrain is steep and this is the only way up the mountain. It is a narrow battlefield, so the enemy will only be able to climb a few at a time. Cait Sith tells me these soldiers come from Junon, so they will still be shaken after the attack from Weapon. He says if we take out the general, it is likely the rest of the soldiers will run. How accurate his information is…" He shook his head.

"Yeah, once a member of Shinra, always a member of Shinra…" Cid took a long puff of his cigarette and sighed, letting the smoke blow away in the breeze. "Well, there ain't no use worrying about it now. Whatever will be, will be, or so they say." He turned to Red XIII. "Well, let's get movin'," he said, giving the hound a pat on the head before walking off to join Vincent and Barret, who were just coming out of the hut with the rest of the mercenaries.

Yuffie came out of the hut after them, carrying Cait Sith in her arms. "Now, you guys better be careful, you hear me?" she was saying sternly. She shook a determined fist. "And don't you worry about the traps, all right? We've got your backs! And remember: if you get in trouble, just call me, and I'll—"

Cait reached up and clamped a paw over her mouth. Ignoring her angry mumbles, he said: "Remember, the whole Shinra army has been disorganised since Weapon started attacking. The general is the only thing keeping this army together. Take him out, and the whole army will crumble. You got that, lads?"

"But he's all dressed up in that damn metal suit!" Barret sputtered, spitting in anger. "How the hell are we supposed to get to him?"

Before Cait could answer, an ear-splitting horn blast filled the air. Everyone, including the mercenaries, turned and looked down the mountain. The Shinra army was assembled, and at the sound of the horn, the first patrol began to make its slow climb up the mountain.

Cait Sith scratched his head. "That's something you're going to have to figure out on your own, I'm afraid." When Barret glared at him, the cat added: "Well, I_ am_ still in Shinra. I can't give you_ all_ our secrets, you know. What would be the fun in that?"

It took every ounce of Barret's strength to restrain himself. The temptation to smack the cat out of the ninja's arms and then throw him headfirst into the oncoming army was almost too great to bear. Luckily at that moment Vincent tapped him on the shoulder, drawing his attention back to the events at hand. Cid was beginning to head down the mountain after the mercenaries, with Red XIII padding at his side. Barret shook his fist at the cat before following them down.

The first patrol was marching steadily up the hill. They marched in groups of four, spread out across the narrow path that wound its way up the mountain towards the settlement. When they reached the midway point the first two lines of soldiers dropped to their knees, raised their rifles, and opened fire.

The response from the rebels was immediate. The five mercenaries launched into action, drawing their weapons and charging down the mountainside into the battle. They dodged the bullets with practiced ease, weaving in and out of the line of fire. Within moments they reached the front line of soldiers and smashed straight in, blades slashing through the air.

Cid and the others were not far behind. The landscape was steep and uneven, making running immensely difficult. Even Red XIII, with his padded paws and sharp claws, had difficulty keeping a firm grip on the ground. Bullets began to rain down from the sky, whizzing past their ears.

A gap appeared in the rain of bullets as the soldiers on the back lines paused to reload. Seeing his chance, Vincent pulled ahead of the others and leaped into the air. He drew his Shortbarrel and fired on the soldiers from above. His aim was perfect. Four soldiers had fallen before the army realised they were being attacked from above and lifted their guns to the sky.

A bright light filled the sky. The light was so piercing that many soldiers cried out in pain and were forced to shield their eyes with their weapons. When the light faded and they could see once more, they looked back up into the sky and wished instantly that the light had taken their sight forever.

In those few moments when the battlefield had been filled with light, Vincent had changed himself from his human form into the powerful form of the Galian Beast. It was the sight of Galian descending from the sky that caused the soldiers to cry out in fright and attempt to scurry away.

Galian slammed into the ground, in the midst of the Shinra army. The impact caused by his monstrous form caused the ground to shake, and all those on the back lines froze in fright. One soldier managed to gather enough courage to raise his rifle, but Galian knocked the weapon out of his trembling hands before he could fire. Galian raised his head and roared, and then charged headfirst into the scrambling army.

Red XIII followed Vincent's lead by leaping up over the soldiers. He used their helmets as footholds as he jumped from head to head, trying to reach the inner ranks.

A flash of orange light caught his eye. Quickly he leaped to one side. A large fireball sailed past him, brushing his flanks and singing the fur. Red XIII dug his front claws into the helmet of the hapless soldier he landed on, twisted his body round, dug his back claws in and then jumped in the direction of the soldier who had cast the Fire magic. That soldier did not have the chance to cast another spell before Red XIII was on him, his jaws locked around the soldier's arm. He held on tight until the soldier finally relinquished the materia-powered weapon he had been holding. Only then did he let go, and jumped away and back into the fray.

He was in mid-leap when a barrage of bullets sailed beneath his belly, and another handful of soldiers fell. The hound twisted his body and clamped his claws into the helmet of another soldier. He looked around and then leaped off in another direction.

The heavy gunfire was coming from Barret. The former rebel leader was standing on top of a large rock, shooting down the soldiers from afar. There was a fired-up glint in his eyes as he took down one soldier, then another, and another.

His diversionary tactic worked, as the captain in charge of the first group ordered those men who were not currently engaged with the rebels to turn and open fire. This made an opening for Cid, who until then was surrounded on all sides. As some of the soldiers turned, he swung his spear and knocked them aside, and then dived out and continued running down the mountainside.

The Shinra captain saw Cid's dash and ran to intercept him. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of Cid's scarf and yanked it hard. Cid croaked and tumbled backward, his head slamming into the rock. While he lay there, stunned, he felt a heavy weight crush his chest.

Cid opened his eyes. The Shinra captain was standing over him, his boot pressed against Cid's chest and keeping him pinned down. Cid tried to swing his spear, but realised that his hand was empty. The spear lay a few feet away, thrown from his grasp when he fell. The captain raised his rifle and aimed at Cid's head—a direct shot. The pilot closed his eyes tight.

There was the sound of a gunshot, and an agonised cry filled the air. Cid opened his eyes once more and looked to his left. The captain was on the ground, clutching at his leg, which was encased in ice. Part of the ice was stained crimson where the bullet had landed. As Cid scrambled to grab his spear, the captain reached for his gun.

Cid got there first. He snatched his spear off the ground and swung it with all the strength he could muster. It connected with the captain's head with a loud crack. The captain crumpled, his fingertips resting on the rifle. Cid looked at Barret and waved a hand in thanks.

He was just about to take a breath when he heard a terrible roar behind him. Cid spun around in time to see Galian pounce on the back of a soldier who had been sneaking up behind him. The soldier fell to the dirt with Galian on top of him. The beast took the rifle from the soldier's quivering hands and crushed it in his vice-like grip. He then climbed off the soldier, who scrabbled back and then ran back down the hill as fast as his legs could carry him.

He was not the only one. The rest of the surviving soldiers were hurrying back down the mountainside at great speed, overwhelmed by the surprising strength of the rebels. Two of the mercenaries gave chase, not wanting to let their prey escape.

Seeing the soldiers flee, Cid leaned over and breathed deeply. His head was beginning to throb painfully. Being a leader was harder work than he thought.

Galian came over to stand by Cid. His eyes scanned the landscape. "It is no time to rest yet," the beast said in a guttural voice entirely different to Vincent's own deep baritone. "The battle has only just begun."

Cid spat. "%&$^! I know that! I was just… getting my breath, that's all."

"Perhaps you're getting too old for this."

The pilot snapped his head round. Was that a smirk on Galian's face?

He was just about to make a comment on this when a second horn sounded. Cid turned and looked back down the mountain, Galian at his side. The soldiers from the first wave had regrouped with the rest of the army, and now the second wave was beginning to make its way up the hill towards them. Marching at the back of the group was the general, encased in his battle suit.

"I sure hope Yuffie's got those traps ready," Cid muttered under his breath. He reached for his cigarettes. He lit one and took a long drag. "Otherwise, we're toast."


	12. Part Eleven: Chapter 11

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Eleven**

The battle for Fort Condor went on until well into the afternoon. The air was filled with the sounds of gunfire and magic. The noise of the battle could be heard for miles around. The smaller monsters of the Condor Plains, terrified by the unusual noise, hid in their forests. The larger ones began prowling the withered land, waiting for the battle to finish.

It was not going well for Cid and his group. The second wave was larger and had more advanced weaponry and materia than the first group had. The second wave was also made larger by the remnants of the first joining their ranks. It was not long before they had Cid and the rebels on the defensive, trying to halt their advance.

The Shinra general fought alongside his soldiers, staying near the back of the army and out of reach of attack. His battle suit was heavy and difficult to move about in, especially on the slanted ground. He kept a small number of soldiers close to his side for extra protection as he used the suit's mako-powered guns to fire at the rebels.

The shells were made out of pure, condensed mako. When the shells were released they shot through the air like miniature meteors, leaving long, glittering trail of mako energy behind them. These shells exploded on impact: a huge explosion that made the ground tremble and sent dirt and rock flying into the air.

One such shell landed close to where Cid and one of the mercenaries were fighting, trying to halt the enemy's advance. The resulting explosion threw them off their feet, along with a number of the general's own soldiers.

The pilot hurried to his feet and swung his spear, knocking aside a soldier who tried to run past when he was down. The soldier staggered back, and the mercenary finished the job by swinging his heavy broadsword. The soldier managed one more step before he fell down, dead.

Cid stuck the butt of his spear into the dirt and looked around. The army was still advancing and at least two thirds of them were still standing. Bullets of ice and lightning and giant balls of fire were sailing through the air on both sides. Vincent had been forced to ditch the form of the Galian beast and was weaving through the enemy lines, trying to dodge the enemy's attacks. Red XIII was cornered against a rock, snarling and snapping his jaws at any soldier who tried to approach him. Barret he could not see, but by the sound of heavy gunfire, he was under attack as well. There was no other choice: it was time for the second part of their plan.

"All right! It's time! Retreat! Run back to the hut!" he ordered, hoping the others could hear him over the gunfire.

As he turned to run he saw Red XIII leap up onto the rock and scrabble away, even as gunfire trailed behind him. Vincent managed to find a path through the army and darted out, dashing up the hill. Barret came out just behind him and followed the gunman back up the mountain. From other places behind enemy lines the mercenaries emerged, following Cid's orders.

Seeing their chance of victory at hand, the Shinra army surged forward. The general stopped and watched, pleased, as his army charged after the rebels. The battle was as good as over. The hut was within their sights, and once the hut was taken, it was all over for the rebels and the people of Fort Condor.

A large shadow fell over the soldiers. The general looked up in time to see a number of large boulders come hurtling through the sky, descending upon his soldiers, who ran on oblivious to the danger above them.

"Look to the sky!" he shouted to his men, but he was too late. The rocks slammed into the earth, crushing every poor soldier who could not get out of the way fast enough. The boulders bounced and tumbled down the hill, rolling at high speed and tearing a line through the Shinra army.

On top of the mountain, Yuffie cheered and shook her fist at the startled army. "Oh yeah! Gotcha! That's what happens when you take on Yuffie Kisaragi, the legendary ninja of Wutai! Fire again, Cait!"

Behind her, the cat huffed and puffed as he pushed another heavy rock into the catapult's sack. "Give me a chance here, lass," the cat complained, wiping his furry brow. "These rocks are heavy, you know."

He gave the rock one final push, and it fell into the sack. The catapult strained beneath the weight. These wooden catapults were the traps the people of Fort Condor had set up to use in their fight against the Shinra. Situated at the top of the mountain, they made a good offensive weapon against any attacking army. The villagers knew that this path was the only way an army could reach the fort by foot, so they positioned all their catapults in two lines on the very edge of a jutting cliff, overlooking the sloping landscape. The catapults were filled with rocks and stones, broken glass and metal; anything they could find that could be thrown at the enemy.

Yuffie had managed to find a good number of large rocks to use as part of her arsenal, but that wasn't the only weapon she had available. She had her own secret weapon, and was waiting for a chance to use it against the Shinra.

"FIRE!" the ninja ordered.

Cait grabbed the rope and pulled, releasing the mechanism that fired the catapult. The head swung up and over, chucking the rocks up into the air. The remaining five catapults, manned by the men of Fort Condor (who came out to help after seeing the success of the first battle), fired just moments later.

The Shinra army was in a panic. They were all clumped together and did not know which way to run to avoid the falling rock. The general solved their problem by raising his metal-encased arm and firing several mako shells from his palm. The shells exploded on impact, blowing the rocks apart. The smaller rocks and showers of dust and dirt rained down on the soldiers, painful but harmless.

Up by the hut, the villagers groaned in dismay. Red XIII shook his head. "This isn't good," he said. "Those catapults are our last line of defence. If he can blow them to dust in a single shot, then there's no way we can continue to defend this place."

"Ah, quit complaining, sour-puss!" Yuffie snapped. She rubbed her hands together. Red XIII turned and cocked his head at her. "You think I haven't thought of that?" the ninja said with a wink. "You just watch this: you're gonna love it!"

"Ah, quit complaining, sour-puss!" Yuffie snapped. She rubbed her hands together. Red XIII turned and cocked his head at her. "You think I haven't thought of that?" she said with a wink. "You just watch this: you're gonna love it!"

The hound watched as Yuffie walked over to the nearest catapult, where Cait was tugging at the rope to pull it back into position. After helping him to secure the catapult's head, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a ball of red materia.

Cait leaned over and looked at the red materia curiously. His ears twitched with interest. "Isn't that the Shiva materia? Didn't Tifa have that one?" He looked up at her accusingly.

Yuffie's face was perfectly innocent. "What of it? She doesn't need it right now, and we do. Just get ready to pull the rope."

Cait shook his head and grabbed the rope. He watched as Yuffie reached behind her, presumably scratching her back. She then placed her hands over the catapult sack, one on top of the other, with the Shiva materia between them. She closed her eyes and concentrated. The Shiva materia began to glow and the air around her became crisp and cold. Her breath came out in cold puffs of steam and more icy clouds were beginning to rise from the materia in her hand.

"Get ready," whispered Yuffie, her eyelids half-closed. The white light of the materia intensified, and the clouds began to form tiny, floating shards of ice. Yuffie watched closely as the light grew brighter. "Wait… Now!" She pulled her hands back sharply.

Cait pulled on the rope. The head was released, and the sack swept up the growing ice shards and propelled them into the air. The ice took form as it rose; shaping itself into the beautiful ice maiden that was Shiva. Acting on the silent commands passed on to her by Yuffie at the moment of summoning, Shiva spread her arms out in front of her and called forth a giant wall of ice. The ice was shaped like an upturned bowl and descended rapidly on the soldiers, falling with a loud roar.

Once more the general raised his arm. He fired three mako shells at the ice bowl. They hit the bowl with such intensity that the ice shattered like glass. The general lowered his arm and watched with satisfaction as the broken shards fell to the ground like rain. The smile then left his face s he saw the true source of the roaring noise appear from behind the bowl, ready to strike.

Behind the ice bowl was Leviathan. The water dragon burst out from where he had been hiding behind the ice, along with a giant torrent of water that had appeared when he was summoned. The roaring noise had been the water forming and striking the bowl of ice. Now that the ice had been cracked the water had been unleashed, and was hurtling towards the enemy.

The general started to order his men to brace themselves, but the command came too late. The water slammed into the ground with more force than the mako shells, tearing up the very earth as it plunged down the mountainside. Leviathan roared; a terrible roar that pierced the ears of all who were within range. The water fell over the soldiers and swept them off their feet.

The Shinra commander braced himself as the water struck. The strength of the current was incredible. It tore over him and around him. The weight of the battle suit kept it firmly on the ground, but he could feel the suit strain against the intense pressure. Through the rippling current he could see Leviathan slither past, unfazed by the current. For a brief second the general caught Leviathan's eye. The intensity of the dragon's eyes was just as strong as that of the water. The dragon swam so close that he brushed past the suit, almost knocking the general off his feet.

The dragon swam up and out of the water, rising back into the sky. The water rose after him, following him up into the air. The dragon swam in an upward spiral, and the water copied like a shadow, swirling and churning, and moving faster and faster as the dragon rose. Light began to sweep down the dragon's body, covering his body in pure white light. The water dragon screeched and then vanished. At the same time the pressure of the rising water intensified and the water exploded, sending showers of water falling over the mountain.

Yuffie twirled the Leviathan materia in her hands along with the Shiva materia. She had a smug smile on her face. The water fell over her and the materia, sliding down her face and arms. It slicked down the materia, and the droplets that fell on the Shiva materia froze into place. Yuffie placed both materia back into her pouch.

"Well, that's the Shinra army dealt with," she said cheerfully, turning back to face the others. "I'll leave the rest up to you." She grinned. "Don't mess it up, okay?"

The general was the only one left standing on the battlefield. The rest of his army had been carried off by the water and now lay scattered across the mountainside. Some soldiers had been thrown from the mountain entirely, and now lay injured or worse on the darkened land surrounding the mountain; helpless prey for the hungry fiends that were prowling the land. The general, realising that he was now fighting alone turned his attention back to the fort.

The rebels were on the move again. Filled with renewed vigour, they charged back down the mountain towards him, ignoring the slick ground beneath their feet.

Acting quickly, the general raised his arm and fired two mako shells at the rebels. They dodged the shells and carried on moving, even as the shells exploded and made the earth tremble. Red XIII leaped over a large rock and pulled ahead of the others, his sharp teeth bared and glinting in the light.

The general tried to fire a third shot, but as he tried the suit's arm made a loud popping and clinking noise and refused to fire. He looked down, and his eyes opened wide in horror. There was a long, deep gash in the battle suit's metal plating, cutting right through the arm and exposing the electrical cables and mako pipes that powered the arm. Electricity crackled from the exposed area.

The general stared at the damage. When had this happened? He had been at the back of the army the whole time, well out of range of any attacks! Then he remembered Leviathan. The water dragon had brushed past him when the water had covered the mountainside. The scales that covered the dragon's body were stronger than diamond, and had cut through the suit as though it was paper.

His attention was drawn back to the battle as he heard Red XIII roar. Quickly the general raised his other arm to shield his face as the hound leaped up at him. Red XIII latched himself onto the general's arm and clamped his powerful jaws around the metal plating that covered his lower arm. In anger the general swung his arm, but Red XIII had a firm grip and was refusing to relinquish it. The general then began to hit the hound on the head with his other arm, delivering powerful, painful blows in an attempt to force the hound to let go. After a few brutal hits, Red XIII lost his grip on the battle suit's arm. He yelped as the general gave him another hard strike to the shoulder and then tossed him aside.

There came the sound of a gunshot, and a bullet pinged off his shoulder. Vincent jumped overhead and fired more shots that zipped past and bounced off his armour. The general turned and raised his arm to shield his face from the gunshots. As he turned he saw a blur of movement through the corner of his eye. Cid was standing just behind him, swinging his spear in an attempt to knock him off balance.

The general stepped back and ducked as low as the suit could manage. The spear swept over him, missing him by just an inch. Without pausing the general lunged forward and up, bringing his clenched fist up to connect with Cid's unguarded chest. Cid cried out in pain as he was picked up and thrown back by the force of the punch. He landed on the dirt and skidded until he finally stopped, winded.

"Cid!"

Barret roared in anger and used his gun-arm to unleash a relentless attack at the Shinra general. The bullets clanged and pinged off the armour, denting the metal plating but never quite piercing it. He continued to fire, unyielding, keeping the soldier on his guard.

Vincent landed on a rock and turned to face the Shinra general. Resting his gun on his forearm, he took aim and fired. The shot hit the suit's damaged arm, and the metal plating split apart. The plates fell away from the suit, leaving the general's arm and the mako plates exposed and vulnerable. The general started to lower his arm and as he did Vincent another shot. The shot landed right in the gash made by Leviathan, going right through the metal_ and_ the general's arm beneath it.

The general cried out in pain and staggered back, clutching at his injured arm. Smoke was billowing from the mechanics, and mako was leaking from the damaged pipes, mixed with the soldier's blood. Desperate and outraged, the soldier started to run towards Cid.

He did not get very far before Red XIII was on him. The hound leaped onto his back and closed his jaws around what would have been the soldier's neck if he had not been wearing the suit. The sudden appearance of the hound caught the general off guard and he staggered forward.

Cid was back on his feet and, as the general lurched forward, he picked up his spear and thrust it out in front of him. The spearhead jammed into the gap between the suit's waist and torso plates. Red XIII relinquished his grip and leaped off as Cid pulled on the spear and lifted the general off the ground. Sweat poured down Cid's brow as he strained with the weight.

Caught on the end of the spear, the Shinra commander was completely helpless. He struggled, trying to dislodge the spear from his armour, but the suit's weight kept him in place. Cid pulled the spear up and over, and on its descending arc he pushed with all his strength. The suit finally came away from the spear and the general was thrown into the side of a large jutting rock. Cid readied his spear and started to run forward, ready to end it.

"Hold it! This guy's mine!"

Cid stopped as Barret charged past him, swinging his great, muscular arms. He caught the general just as he was trying to stand up. He slammed his gun-arm into the visor protecting the commander's face, smashing it to pieces. He then swung his good fist, landing a devastating punch to the soldier's unshielded face.

The general staggered back, his vision blurred by the blood that poured down his face. He tried to raise a fist to strike back, but one more punch from Barret and the soldier was out for the count. He fell to the dirt, out cold. The battle was over at last.

Seeing the Shinra commander lying harmlessly on the floor, Cait Sith left his place by the fort and ran down the mountain to join Cid and the others. He ran past them and went over to the unconscious commander and clambered onto the battle suit. He opened a hatch in the suit's chest and, after a rummage, pulled out a small, flashing electronic device filled with mako. He jumped off the suit and faced the others.

"This is the control unit for the battle suit," he explained. He pushed a button on the unit, and the lights went out. "Without this, that suit is harmless." The cat grinned.

* * *

"YES! We did it!"

The lookout was almost leaping with joy. Cid and the others all stood, exhausted, inside the hut. They were a little worse for wear. They were covered in scratches and wet from the water, smeared with dirt and worn out from the lengthy battle. The remnants of the Shinra army: those soldiers who had managed to gather themselves together and return to the battlefield, had quickly fled when they saw their commander, stripped of his battle suit, lying tied up at the foot of the mountain. They had even forgotten to take their commander with them. Even though Cid and the others were exhausted, the people of Fort Condor were ready for celebration.

"That was wonderful!" the lookout continued. He had a large smile on his face, and he clapped his large hands loudly. "Thank you! I doubt Shinra will attack now."

Cid took a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped his forehead. It came back damp. Every muscle in his body ached with fatigue. Every movement sent wracking pain throughout his body. He was looking forward to returning to the Highwind and taking a long, refreshing shower, and then a long sleep. Unfortunately, some part of his brain told me that he was going to have little time to do either.

Still beaming, the lookout turned back to the window and looked out at the condor. The giant bird had stayed on top of the reactor throughout the entire battle, guarding its single egg, which was nested on top of the reactor. Unfazed by the actions of the humans below it, the condor had remained asleep during the battle. The lookout leaned against the wooden frame and looked up at the condor.

Suddenly, the lookout's eyes opened wide. "A, arrggh……" he choked.

The condor was still there, sleeping peacefully on top of the reactor, with its giant wings half unfolded and shielding its egg from the garish light of Meteor. The egg was sat upright, nestled in its resting place. The egg was coloured unusual shades of violet, brown and cream, and emitted an unearthly glow.

As those inside the hut watched, a strong breeze began to blow outside. It swept aside the white clouds that dotted the sky, and a thick blanket of black clouds moved in to take their place. A dark shadow fell over the mountain and Fort Condor, until the only light that remained was the glow coming from the condor's egg.

A crack appeared on the surface of the egg. The crack splintered and spread, growing larger and larger. Flakes of the shell began to float into the air through some unknown power. Still the condor slept, unaware.

The cracks spread until they reached the bottom of the shell. At this point a bright white light burst from inside the shell, expanding until it covered the whole of the reactor. The light thinned and changed hue, forming a glowing sphere of violet light.

What remained of the broken egg suddenly erupted into flames; flames that engulfed the roof of the reactor within seconds. The flames also swept up the chest of the condor, and it was at this the condor finally awakened, screeching in pain. The flames grew and grew until they filled the light sphere, swirling round and round, powered by an unknown force.

A black shadow emerged from amongst the swirling flames. The shadow swirled within the sphere and started to take form. The form was that of a bird: a large bird with giant, flaming wings. The flames of the fire flickered and danced around the shadow, which flashed once and then vanished. The sphere of light dissipated, and the flames inside spread out into the air and then faded into nothing. The dark clouds that covered the sky also vanished, and the white clouds returned to the blue sky. The condor also turned to its sleeping state, and silence returned to the valley.

Suddenly the condor raised its giant head and screeched painfully. It lost its grip on its perch and tumbled backward. It fell from the reactor and landed on the dirt below. The impact of its large body on the mountain made the whole fort shake, and a cloud of dust rose into the air. The motionless condor then slid down the side of the mountain. The final shards of the condor's egg fell away, and its contents glowed in the sunshine.

The lookout gripped the edge of the window frame, leaning out as far as he could. "Th, that light just now……" His voice was shaky, startled by the sight he had just witnessed. "The condor…… the eggs…… What!?" He shook his head and turned to Cid. "Would you go outside and see what it was?"

Cid was too tired to argue with him. He left the others and went out onto the mountaintop again. Following the markers that were signposted along the reactor, he went up to the top where the condor had made its nest.

Pieces of the broken shell were scattered across the roof. Even though the place had been torched by flames, nothing seemed to have been burned. Sitting in the middle of the egg was a baby condor. Like its mother, it was much larger than the average condor, far bigger than Cid and his friends put together. The baby bird looked around the rooftop, then opened its beak and squawked hungrily. Cid felt sorry for it. The chick was unaware that its mother now lay at the foot of the mountain, out cold or possibly even dead. He hoped it was the former.

As he watched the baby condor, a bright glint caught his eye. Cid lowered his gaze and looked at the ground a few feet from the condor's nest.

Lying on the ground was a ball of materia. It must have tumbled from the nest when the egg cracked open, maybe even caused it. It was red materia, summon materia. Cid went over to it and picked it up. It was hot to the touch, almost burning, but even as Cid held it he could feel the strength return to his tired limbs. Steam rose from the scratches on his arms, and they started to heal. Cid stared at his arms, and then down at the materia. What kind of materia was this?

Inside the materia's smooth surface, the image of a bird flickered past. Cid recognised the bird instantly. It was a well-known bird, popular in old folklore. It was a phoenix, a bird of fire whose flames could both heal and destroy. In this instance the materia had destroyed the shell that had contained it, engulfing the reactor in flames. But those flames had not burned anything else, and healed Cid's wounds when he picked it up. It was a very rare and very powerful materia.

A high-pitched screech caused Cid to return his attention to the chick. The pilot watched as the baby condor spread its wings, which were large even though it was just a baby. He watched, astounded, as the newborn flapped its wings and rose out of its nest. These were no ordinary condors, to be able to fly so soon after being born. He watched as the chick flew once around the nest and then turned to the northern skies, flying off to find a new home.

Cid returned to the hut, holding the Phoenix materia in his hands. It was cooling down now. The others were waiting for him inside. They had also seen the baby condor, from the open window. The lookout was still peering out at the now empty spot where the condors used to be.

"Gone…" he breathed. He lowered his head. Cid had a feeling that the lookout was more taken aback by the sight of the condor falling, and the birth of its chick, than he was by anything else he had seen that day. After a few moments the look out raised his head and faced Cid, his face solemn. "Be sure to report to my father, too," he said, and then returned to looking out the window, silent.

The old man was still sitting at the table down below, continuing to nurse his mug of steaming tea. Cid and the others wondered if he had been sat there the whole time, even while the battle was going on outside. He looked up as Cid and his friends approached, and a wide smile spread on his face.

"Everyone, thanks," he said, the gratitude showing in his eyes. "I really mean it. Thanks. Although there isn't anything we can give you, we'll make sure you can stop in and stay any time, so be sure to drop by. Yes, yes, and there's one thing I forgot to tell you…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Huge Materia.

Cid looked down at it. "Huh? What's this?" he asked.

Vincent's eyes opened wide in recognition. "This is……"

"Damn, man, it's Huge Materia," said Barret.

They all looked down at the Huge Materia. It was coloured a deep crimson. No light seemed to shine within its crystalline surface; it was as dark as blood.

The smile on the old man's face grew wider. "The truth is, this is the materia inside the reactor."

Cid looked at the old man and then at the Huge Materia. He looked at the old man again. "What the hell did we fight for?" he demanded accusingly.

The old man held out the Huge Materia. Vincent stepped forward and took it from him, holding it carefully in his hands. "We weren't protectin' the reactor," he said, "we were protectin' the condors. When that reactor was built, they forced us to help. That's how we knew what was inside the reactor. I knew this day would come, so after the Shinra left, I sneaked in and took the materia. I didn't mean to fool you, but I guess that's how it ended up. I'm really sorry."

Cid scratched his head. "Just forget about it. Anyway, we're still alive."

"I see," the old man said. He stared thoughtfully into his mug. "If you put it that way…… we're really grateful."

The pilot gave the old man a pat on the shoulder, and then turned to Cait Sith, who was back on his Mog, still holding the control unit. "So the last Huge Materia that Shinra's after's in the underwater reactor in Junon."

"We must get there before them and stop them!" said Red XIII.

"But you know," Cid said, scratching his chin, "Shinra's probably on high alert since we always mess with 'em." He scratched his chin a moment more, before facing the others. "How 'bout we take a break and go see that little fella for a bit?"

Barret crossed his arms. "You mus' mean Cloud……"

Cid nodded. "Yeah, I'm worried 'bout Tifa; she may have collapsed takin' care of the guy. How 'bout checkin' on 'em?" Before anyone could answer, he raised a fist. "Down to Mideel!"

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

_And that concludes my least favourite part of the game, and possibly one of the longest battle scenes I have written to date. I am amazed I managed to write that much. I hope everyone liked it; I was worried that my playing with this section would drift too far from the game. I also tried to add a little more magic and summons for you._


	13. Part Eleven: Chapter 12

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twelve**

Cid and the others hurried back to the Highwind and set off for Mideel, leaving the people of Fort Condor to their celebrations. It was unlikely that Shinra would attack the fort again after this, especially now that the Huge Materia was gone.

Everything was just as they had left it when they arrived at Mideel. The townsfolk were still going about their business, almost without a care in the world. They continued to ignore the sight of Meteor in the sky, carrying on as though it was not there. Seeing the calm smiles on the people's faces made Cid and the others feel much calmer themselves, a nice feeling after all the fighting they had endured during the past twenty-four hours. Here, at least, things continued to be peaceful.

Meteor had almost doubled in size in the past few days. It was now clearly visible across the globe, even as far away as Cosmo Canyon. Its fiery red aura pierced even the thickest clouds, making it appear as though the sky was ablaze. At night swirling, burning clouds could be seen on its surface. Yet even as panic grew in the hearts of the rest of the world, the people of Mideel remained as they always had: tranquil.

Cid and the others headed straight for the hospital, eager to see how Tifa and Cloud were doing. As they entered the clinic they were met by the doctor. He could see the question burning in their eyes. He sighed regretfully and slowly shook his head.

"I'm sorry……" he told them. "But your friend's condition remains unchanged…… You'll have to be patient and wait this out." He looked over at the door that led into the other room. "These things take time. Just like fine wine, time is of the essence."

The nurse put down the sterilised cloth that she was using to clean the counter and looked over at the group. "She's finally beginning to look a little tired… I hope she's all right." She followed the doctor's gaze and sighed, before turning her attention back to her cleaning. "No change in his condition, and still stays there doing her best. It must be tough on her. If she keeps this up, she'll probably get sick……"

Cid glanced at the door, and then at the doctor. The doctor smiled and nodded. Cid went over to the door and peered into the room.

There was Tifa, sitting in a chair by Cloud's side. She held his hand in hers, stroking it tenderly. Cid stood in the doorway watching her, and caught a glimpse of her face as she brushed aside a length of hair that fell over her eyes. The nurse was right: she did look tired. Caring for Cloud was a hard task, and it was starting to take its toll on her. She did not appear to have noticed him.

"……It's no use……" he heard her say. "I don't understand a thing, Cloud. What should I do……?" Cloud didn't answer. Tifa clenched her fist, squeezing his hand. "What if you never recover for the rest of your life?"

Sensing someone watching her, Tifa raised her head. She met Cid's gaze and smiled at him. She opened her mouth to speak.

Suddenly the room shook. The windows rattled loudly in their frames, and the glass beakers and vials in the office started to dance across the counter. The ground trembled and quavered violently, causing everyone inside the hospital to lose their balance and fall to the floor. Cid gripped the side of the doorframe and held on tight. Books tumbled from shelves, and there was a loud smash as a beaker finally reached the end of the counter and crashed onto the floor, spilling its contents.

"Eyaaah!?" screamed Tifa as she was thrown out of her chair. She pushed herself to her knees and clung to the side of Cloud's wheelchair, her eyes squeezed shut.

Only Cloud was unfazed by the sudden quake. As his body jostled about in the chair, he took in a sharp breath and raised his wide eyes to the ceiling. "……They're…… They're…… coming……!" he rasped.

Cid's head snapped up to look at Cloud. "What did you say, Cloud!?"

Whatever it was that had taken hold of Cloud had already gone. By the time Cid looked, Cloud's head had already dropped back to his chest, and his eyes had returned to their glazed, unseeing state. "Uh……aaa……?" he mumbled.

Cid cursed and looked upward. The overhead light swung back and forth. Another beaker smashed in the next room. "Damn!" Cid said. "What the hell's goin' on!?"

"No way……" Tifa breathed, still on the floor by the wheelchair. "Is this……!?"

Cid pushed himself away from the door and hurried back outside. Barret and the others were already there, spread out in front of the hospital, trying to see what was going on. The whole town was in a panic. The buildings creaked and heaved, slates tore themselves from rooftops, and the air became thick with dust that rose from the ground. The townspeople, terrified, ran for their homes. One woman was almost killed as she ran for the nearest store when a slate fell from a nearby roof and landed by her feet. She hurried inside the store and slammed the door shut.

A strong wind was beginning to blow through the town. It ripped through the surrounding forest, sending leaves and branches soaring through the air. It sent Cid's hair whipping bout his face, and he shielded his eyes with his arm as he looked around the town. They were the only people left outside.

Amongst all the rattling and the shaking Cid heard a roaring sound like gushing water. The roar became louder as the ground gave an especially violent shake, causing it to almost jump upwards. Cid looked down. The roar was coming from deep beneath the surface of the planet. Somewhere below the planet's crust something had burst, and whatever lay beneath it was now fighting its way towards the surface.

"What's this…?" gasped Cid, his voice drowned out by the roar of the earth. "The Lifestream is gushing up from below the surface of the earth."

A low wail began to drift through the air, and upon hearing it everyone froze in place. The sound sifted through the trees, rustling the leaves and touching the hearts of all who could hear it. It was a familiar sound, one they had heard before. It was the cry of the planet. The Lifestream gushing so close beneath the surface made it possible for them to hear its cries. Something was causing the planet to scream in pain.

"Damn, that's……!" Cid turned one way, and then another. The planet's cry was all sounding all around him, even inside him. He could hear it inside his mind, and it was as though he could hear the thoughts of the planet. Danger was coming. Cid looked all around him. "This is bad……!!"

"Cid……!? What's wrong?"

Cid turned back to the hospital. Tifa was standing in the doorway. The wind blew around her, whipping her long hair about her face. Bracing herself against the blustering wind, she stepped out of the door and headed toward Cid and the others.

"N, nothing!!" the pilot answered quickly. "You and Cloud get inside quick!!" The ground gave another stomach-churning lurch and Tifa stopped.

"But I……!" she began.

Cid stopped her with a look. Then he smiled and said, "Hey, don't worry about a thing. I ain't about to die that easily." He gave her a self-assured smile.

Tifa stared back at him, her gaze level and steady. Finally, she nodded. "Be careful…!" she warned him, and then ran back into the hospital.

Once Tifa was safely inside the hospital, Cid reached behind him and unhooked his spear. He turned and slammed the butt defiantly into the ground. "Okay," he announced loudly, facing the others, "here I go! Watch this!!"

Suddenly, Yuffie cried out. She clutched her Razor Ring close to her chest and pointed up towards the sky. Everyone followed her gaze and looked to the sky. There, flying over the forest surrounding Mideel, was Weapon.

It was a different Weapon to the one they saw fighting the Shinra at Junon. This Weapon resembled a dragon. They had seen this Weapon back at the North Crater, when it and all the other Weapons first emerged from their long sleep inside the Planet. When it came out of the crater it had hovered alongside the Shinra airship. It had turned its draconic-like head and looked at the people standing on the deck. Its gaze had been chilling.

The dragon-like Weapon beat its two monstrous wings. The resulting windstorm they created sent more slates flying from the rooftops. Those on the ground tried to stay standing as the breeze whipped around them and threatened to blow them off balance. Weapon roared and soared over Mideel.

The others standing behind Cid all drew their guns and other artillery and turned to face Weapon. It was up to them alone to fend off Weapon and protect this peaceful place. They could expect no help from the townsfolk, who were in their homes hiding from the still shaking earth.

"Damn!" Cid swore. "That &%$^%$ Weapon!! Of all the times to show up……!" He readied his spear, gripped it in his hands. "Okay then, come on!! You &$^%$!"

Ultimate Weapon, as this particular Weapon was known, suddenly turned in the air and faced Mideel. It arched its small head down and looked at Cid and the rest of his crew, weapons in hand, ready to fight. Its eyes glinted red as it recognised potential victims of its might. It gave an ear-piercing roar and then tilted its wings, swooping down upon the humans below.

Cid and the others stood firm as Weapon descended. They refused to budge an inch, even as the wind pushed and pulled at them and tried to throw them off their feet. Ultimate Weapon lifted its wings at the last moment and came level once again. It landed in the centre of town, slamming its four large feet into the ground. It pulled its wings behind his back as it turned to face the humans that challenged it.

Cid struck first, before Weapon could have a chance to attack. He lifted his spear and threw it at the monster. The spear hit Weapon on the shoulder and bounced right off, leaving nothing more than a tiny nick on its thick, leathery hide. Weapon glanced down at the trivial mark and then glared at Cid, who ran to retrieve his spear.

Weapon raised a large clawed hand to smash the pilot into the ground, but was stopped when a bombardment of bullets began to rain around it. Weapon watched as the bullets clanged and pinged off its torso, never doing any real harm. It then looked over at Vincent and Barret, who stood together to launch a double attack against Weapon. Unfortunately many of their bullets missed their targets, as the shaking ground made it impossible for them to keep their guns level.

Weapon lunged forward and brought its hand down once more. Vincent and Barret lowered their guns and jumped back out of harm's reach. Vincent landed and charged forward, raising his gun and opening fire. He leaped onto Weapon's hand and ran up the beast's long arm. Weapon roared in irritation and tried to bat the gunman off, but it missed and Vincent kept on coming.

The ground heaved violently once again. Weapon, still in mid-lunge, was caught off balance and lurched forward, steadying itself with one hand. Vincent reached Weapon's shoulder and jumped straight off. He twisted his body round and fired three shots at Weapon's head. Weapon roared in anger as the bullets hit, but the skin of its face was as tough as that of its torso, and they pinged off leaving barely anything more than a scratch on its face.

Regaining its balance, Weapon stood and turned, its tail lashing behind it. The tail slammed into the ground, narrowly missing one of the houses nearby. The tail then swept across the dirt-covered ground, towards Yuffie and Red XIII. Hurriedly Red XIII darted out of the way, while Yuffie jumped and flipped backwards.

Returning to an upright position out of the way of the lashing tail, the ninja readied her Razor Ring and ran swiftly to the left. She flung the Razor Ring away from her. The ring spun through the air, becoming a blur of movement, and arched towards Weapon. The ring zipped across Weapon's back and sliced a deep gash in the thick hide. Yuffie skidded to a stop and ran the other way, ducking down as Weapon's tail soared over her head. The Razor Ring came down in a declining arc. Yuffie caught it in her hand as it came by her, and kept on running.

Weapon spread its giant wings – wings that were so long that they covered almost half the whole town. The monster lowered its head and opened its jaws wide. Sparks of pure light energy began to form in the air around its open mouth. The energy was drawn towards its mouth and into its throat, glowing brighter and more intense. Weapon clenched its fists and drew back its head, preparing to fire.

Suddenly and without warning, the light vanished, and Weapon closed its jaws. It raised its head to the sky and looked towards the north, listening. On the ground, Cid and the others warily lowered their weapons and watched the beast, unsure of what they should do next.

As they watched Weapon lowered its head and spread its wings out once more. It gave them a powerful beat, and those on the ground quickly fell to their knees, shielding themselves from the wind and dust that blew around them. Weapon beat them once more, and its body began to rise up off the ground. It rose above the town and above the forest, until it hovered in the air. Then it turned and began to fly away from the town, heading north.

Cid stared up in astonishment as Weapon flew away. He clenched his fists around the spear's pole. "You %^$#!" he shouted after the dragon. "You tryin' to escape?"

Weapon could not hear him over the wind, or he perhaps was ignoring him, but whichever it was, Weapon carried on flying until it disappeared over the rustling treetops. Cid started to walk forward, but suddenly stopped as the ground suddenly stopped shaking and became perfectly still.

Cid looked down. The ground was completely still, almost eerily so. Cautiously, Cid took a step forward, testing the ground. It did not move. Then he realised that the bustling wind had also died, leaving the air still and motionless, like the calm before the storm. There was barely a sound. Beside the pilot, Red XIII took a deep breath and sighed heavily. He looked up at Cid and smiled. Yuffie, still staring at the sky, clutched her Razor Ring tightly in her hands.

"I swear, next time, that guy's dead meat!" she announced fervently. To illustrate her point, she shook her fists furiously at the sky.

Ignoring the ninja, Barret turned to Cid and said, "Looks like the Lifestream's settled down now, too."

Just as he finished speaking, the ground began to shake again.

"You gotta be kiddin'…" Cid muttered, feeling his stomach churn again. He dug the point of his spear into the earth and used it to steady himself. In retaliation, the earthquake suddenly increased in strength. "…!!"

The quake was now much stronger than it was before; in fact the first one seemed almost mild by comparison. The ground lurched and heaved, and a loud cracking sound could be heard from beneath their feet. The roaring sound returned, much louder and much closer, as the Lifestream below began to swell and rise to the surface. The trees in the surrounding forest, torn from their roots, tumbled over.

Cid clung onto his spear. "Th, this's bad……!" he said. "The main stream is kickin' up!! Somethin' way bigger than that last one is on its way!!" The pilot let go of the spear and fell to his knees, struggling to remain standing. "No good!!" He took a firm hold of the spear and fought against the tremor. He pushed himself shakily to his feet, then turned to face the others and shouted: "Get outta here……!" His voice could barely be heard over the growing roar.

"But what about Tifa and Cloud……!?" protested Yuffie.

"Goddammit!! You don't have time to worry about anyone other than yourself!" Cid said to the ninja crossly. "You don't know when that stream'll blow….."

As if to prove his point, the ground at the northern end of town suddenly burst open. The rocky land split apart and a long crack formed. Clouds of steam billowed out from the widening crevice. The crack grew and spread into the forest. It forked into two and spread out in two directions that started to slowly circle the town.

They watched in awe and horror as land dipped, tilting down into the crack. It was obvious what was happening. The Lifestream was exerting so much pressure that it was forcing the land to break apart, creating an opening through which to escape, like a volcanic eruption. When the two cracks that circled the town met on the other side the ground would crumble and the entire town would fall into the Lifestream.

One tree on the edge of town tilted and fell into the rising steam, vanishing from view. Cait Sith's Mog jumped about in a panic, its arms flailing. This made it difficult for Cait to keep his balance and so he flopped down on his belly, clinging to the Mog. Cid's eyes opened wide. "Whoa!!" he exclaimed. "There's no time, hurry!!"

Obeying his command, Barret and the others turned and ran from the village. There came a loud popping sound as the land to the west of the village burst open, and more steam rose from the gap. Cid started to run after the others. Then he stopped and turned back to the hospital.

"Tifa!! Cloud!! Get outta here!!"

* * *

Tifa was still inside the hospital, standing by Cloud's side. She somehow knew that Weapon had shown up, and listened to the battle raging outside. Hearing the battle cease and the earthquake stop, she had thought for a brief moment that the danger had passed. Then the earthquake had started again in force, and this time she knew that nothing would stop it until the Lifestream reached its goal: the surface.

Tifa lowered her eyes to the ground and shook her head. Her dark eyes were wide, and her brow creased in worry. "This is bad…… The tremors are getting worse." She turned to Cloud. "Wait a minute, Cloud," she said, before running over to the door. She clung to the frame as another strong tremor shook the building. "Doctor! Shouldn't we move him somewhere rather than stay here…?"

The doctor and his head nurse were in the main office, trying to salvage what texts and medicines they could from the medical cabinets. Upon hearing Tifa's voice, the doctor put down his books and turned to her, his face grave. "Hmm… It might be an idea to take refuge in a wide open space," he agreed.

He looked at the nurse, who nodded in agreement. The two turned back to the cabinets and began to stuff what medicines they could into their pockets. Tifa hurried back to the ward and knelt by Cloud's side, looking up at him. Somewhere outside she heard the sound of Weapon's roar.

"Don't you worry about a thing, Cloud…… I'll see to it that you get somewhere safe," she told him.

Once more the tremors increased in strength. The hospital creaked and heaved, shaking from its very foundations. A long crack split along the concrete wall, rising up from the floor and across the ceiling. The swinging light bulb overhead finally burst, unable to take the vast pressure coming from below. Tifa looked up as she heard the doctor's voice calling out to her from outside.

"No! The structure can't take it!! Hurry!"

"Yes!" Tifa called back. She stood and hurried to stand behind Cloud. She took a firm hold of the handlebars and tilted the wheelchair back gently. Cloud's head tilted to one side. Tifa looked down at him. "Ready, Cloud? We're leaving now!"

She gave the wheelchair a push and led Cloud out of the building. Cid and the others were gone, and the doctor and nurse were nowhere to be seen; they had already fled to safety outside of the village. Tifa took a quick moment to look around before turning the wheelchair and beginning to make a hurried dash for the town exit.

Tifa had just reached the bottom of the slope when the ground gave a thunderous roar and the path behind her cracked open. The ground pitched upwards and then dipped sideways, lifting the hospital into the air. Unable to hold onto its foundations any longer, the building broke free and slid across the ground. The Lifestream surged up from below and the hospital tumbled into it, the ground sinking swiftly behind it. Tifa didn't dare look behind her and kept on running.

A second crack spread across the town: the fighter felt it zip beneath her boots. The ground tilted once more and another large chunk of the town fell into the Lifestream, this time taking a house with it. Dust rose into the air, thick and heavy, tickling Tifa's throat and making her want to cough. She fought against it and continued to push the chair. The exit was just ahead.

A third and final crack appeared. This time it was in front of her, blocking her exit. It moved across the ground at high speed, curving and twisting and encompassing the rest of the town. The ground shuddered as it came loose and tilted sideways. Tifa skidded to a stop as a wall of dust rose to block the other side from view. She looked around, and her eyes widened in horror as she realised that there was no escape.

Cloud remained fixed in his chair. His eyes were focused intently on the Lifestream the surged up from below, as though he was being drawn towards it.

Another strong shudder caused the ground to dip and the abruptness of the movement caused Tifa to lose her grip on the wheelchair. She cried out as the wheelchair rolled across the ground, pulling Cloud away from her. She tried to reach for him but failed. The ground tilted further and Tifa found herself sliding across the ground after him, heading for the edge.

Cloud reached the rim first. The wheelchair toppled over the edge of the crevice. Cloud was thrown from the wheelchair and fell down towards the Lifestream, with Tifa following close behind. The two fell, tumbling and rolling, before landing with a splash into the glowing Lifestream.

* * *

**[END OF PART ELEVEN]**

**[PART TWELVE: MEMORIA]**


	14. Part Twelve: Chapter 13

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Part Twelve: Memoria**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Everything was dark. Tifa was resting on a cushion of shadows, lying motionless and slowly spinning round and round as she descended deeper into the darkness. There was no sound, no movement. No breeze rustled her hair. The sound of her breath as she slowly exhaled was dull, as though the sound waves simply vanished upon leaving her body.

Tifa lay there, perfectly still, her thoughts drifting. Was she dead? In her mind she went back to those last few moments. The last thing she remembered was falling into the Lifestream. The water had closed around her like a warm blanket; warm, yet suffocating. She had been pulled down and down, deeper beneath its glimmering waters. Cloud was right beside her, his eyes closed as he, too, sank further. She had had reached for him, desperately trying to hold onto him.

Then everything had gone dark.

After a few minutes of swirling about in the dark, Tifa finally awoke. She opened her eyes and stared ahead. She was unable to see a thing except for her own body. She lay there, staring into the darkness. Although she was unable to feel the movement, she could sense her body spinning. As she became more aware the spinning began to slow down until she came to a dead stop, hovering in the darkness.

"Wh, where am I……? What's happening? I……?" Tifa blinked a few times, trying to force her sluggish mind into wakefulness. She took a deep breath and tried to stand up. Although she was unable to see anything, she felt the presence of a floor beneath her feet. Cautiously she rose to her feet, placing one foot gingerly in front of the other. The floor seemed stable enough.

Tifa lifted her head and looked around. The darkness was impenetrable; she could not see a thing through it. She also realised, to her horror, that she was alone.

Tifa's heart leapt to her throat. "Where's Cloud……!? Cloud, where are you!?" She started to take a step forward, but stopped as a noise suddenly rang out in the darkness. She froze, listening intently.

The noise was static. It was the same kind of static that could be heard from a radio that had not been tuned in. The sound came from all around her, coming from every single direction. Tifa felt it crackle around her, even through her, making her heart beat rapidly in her chest.

Then, amidst the static and the noise, she thought she heard a voice. It was not a physical voice, nor was it a spiritual one. She could not explain it. It was as though the words just suddenly popped into her head.

"Huh……" Tifa blinked, confused. She listened. "What……? Wha……?" She shook her head. "Who is it……? I can't hear……" The static slightly increased in volume, and the floor beneath Tifa's feet started to spin steadily. Tifa listened as the words entered her head, harsh and accusing. She turned sharply. "Wait a minute……! I don't know anything about that!" she shouted to the darkness. She turned back. The ground began to spin again. More words followed. "No!" Tifa protested. "It's not me……! I'd never do anything like that!!"

The static grew in volume, this time to painful levels. Tifa cried out in pain and clamped her hands over her ears, trying to drown out the voice. It was a futile effort. The static continued to ring around her, piercing her mind, her body, and her soul.

"No! Stop it……! Stay back!"

She started to run, trying to escape from the noise. It was impossible to tell if she was moving anywhere or if she was just running on the spot, for the darkness was so thick she could not see if the ground was moving. Still the sound rang in her ears, and she closed her eyes tight, pushing herself as hard as she could go. The sound followed her, relentless, screaming at her.

"Somebody…… help!" Tifa called. "Please!"

As she ran, she tripped and fell onto her knees. She opened her eyes again and stared down at the unseen ground, her mouth open, panting hard. Still the static around her crackled and shrieked with words only she could hear.

Why? Why was this happening? And where was Cloud!? Tifa couldn't understand it. What was this unseen voice that was shouting at her so accusingly? Was this… the voice of the planet? Was it the planet that was screaming at her, condemning, demanding an answer? What did the planet think that she had done!?

Another sound penetrated the darkness. It was the sound of gunshots, numerous, loud and deafening. Tifa's eyes widened and she bit her lip as the shots rained around her, unyielding and unending. Fear clutched her heart as the pure black of the shadows slowly changed to a deep crimson, giving her the feeling that she was now drowning in a pool of thick blood. The sickening taste of iron filled her mouth.

She coughed and gasped, trembling. "Cloud, help me!" she cried desperately. There was no answer, just the sound of the planet's angry, pain-filled cries. Tifa, beset by fear and pain, lost her strength and fell forward until she was lying flat on the ground. The terrain span again. The floor beneath her began to descend rapidly, carrying Tifa with it.

"Eyaaaaghh……!"

* * *

When Tifa next opened her eyes, she found herself lying face down in a dimly lit area. The static had ceased, leaving the land eerily still and quiet. The ground beneath her was hard and uncomfortable. She stretched out a hand and touched it gingerly. It was rock, and it was definitely there this time. She sighed in relief.

Slowly, carefully, Tifa pushed herself to her knees. Her head was pounding painfully. The sound of gunshots still rang in her mind, but they were beginning to fade now. Tifa tried to stand, staggered, and then stood upright.

"…… ……Where am I……?" she said aloud, and her voice echoed back to her.

As she spoke, a light suddenly filled the room. It was as though someone had just turned the lights on. The whole area became filled with a bright white light, tinged with pale green. Tifa winced and rubbed her eyes. She blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the light. Then she looked up and gasped.

Hovering in the air not ten metres above her head… was Cloud. He looked different: his body was translucent, like a ghost. He was on his knees and writhing as though he were in pain. His hands were pressed against his head, and his eyes were squeezed tightly shut. She watched as he opened his mouth to cry out, but no sound came out.

Tifa stepped forward, her eyes still fixed upon him. "Cloud!? What is it, Cloud? What is this……!?"

The fighter pulled her gaze away from Cloud and looked around her. She was standing in the middle of a large rocky platform, bathed in the strange white-green light. There was no ground supporting the platform; it seemed to hover in the air by some unknown force. As for the surrounding landscape, there was little. The scenery above, below and around her was nothing more than a swirling, dark green cloud.

Three paths branched off from the main platform where Tifa stood, each heading off in a different direction. More floating platforms were at the end of each path. On these were things Tifa recognised from her memory, but she was distracted from these as she realised that there was a person sitting at the end of each path. The three figures had their backs to Tifa, but there was no mistaking that spiky blond hair, or the SOLDIER uniform they all wore.

She started, awestruck. Each one of them was Cloud.

"Is this the inside of your dreams? Or is it…… your…… subconscious?" Tifa looked up again at the ghostlike Cloud that writhed in seeming pain above her. Then she lowered her gaze and looked at the other three, from one to the other. She was beginning to understand just what this place was, and why she had been brought here. "You're searching, aren't you Cloud?" she said. "Searching…… for yourself……"

The fighter clenched her fist tightly. "I can help too," she said. Her lips pressed together firmly, and she raised her eyes once more. "We'll work together to get the real you back! But…… Where do we start……?"

Tifa turned and inspected each platform. Each one bore a significant event in Cloud's memory, of that she was sure. The platform ahead of her had an old wooden well in its centre. The one to her right had a stone path leading into a town. The third was the strangest of all, for all it contained was a brick wall and a window. Tifa did not dwell on that one too closely, but she had a feeling she knew that window, somehow. She turned and looked at each in turn, wondering where to begin.

"The gates of Nibelheim…… Five years ago, Sephiroth passed through these gates…… And…… That's how it all started……"

Tifa turned as the Cloud sitting by the town entrance slowly climbed to his feet. She went over to join him and stood by his side. Cloud's head was raised, looking up. Tifa followed his gaze. Hanging overhead was a familiar wooden signpost. The word 'Nibelheim' was painted on it in big, black letters. Tifa stared up at it.

"It connects…… to Nibelheim……?" she asked. She nodded. "That's right… It's probably best to start from there……" Taking a deep breath, she walked forward and approached the stone path. She stopped at its edge and looked back at Cloud. "Let's go have a look, Cloud. I know it's not easy…… But I'll be right with you……"

Cloud did not move. He stayed rooted to the spot, staring into the town. Tifa smiled at him gently and then walked into the town.

As soon as she stepped on the path, a gust of wind blew and ruffled her hair. Being carried on the wind were all sorts of smells, all of them familiar. It stirred the memories that Tifa had locked in her heart, and she thought she would not be able to continue. Her heart was stuck in her throat. She let the wind wash over her, taking it in, before swallowing the lump in her throat and walking into the town.

Everything was just as she remembered it. Ironically, this town was identical to the current Nibelheim, the one that Shinra had built after the fire. But her feelings for this Nibelheim were different from the feelings she felt for_ that_ Nibelheim. She had felt betrayed looking at the other Nibelheim. Shinra had created it, after trying to eradicate everything that linked it to Shinra and Sephiroth. It was no longer her home. Every person, every memory, everything… they had all been erased. But this town that she saw now… _This_ was the Nibelheim she knew.

"Cloud… look." The fighter ran forward and stopped underneath the signpost. She looked further inside. The whole town was there. She could see everything as she had done years ago. There was her house on the other side of town, with Cloud's house just next door. In the centre of town, she saw the old well. "Here's the well..." she said, and then turned to her left. "And that's Gramps' Inn, too."

She turned and ran over to an old truck parked just outside the town gates. Fondly she laid a hand on it. "The only truck in town," she said, and her eyes filled with memories. "It's been here since we were little kids, right? This is the Nibelheim you remember, right?" She looked up at Cloud. He still stood outside of the town, his eyes following her every move. Tifa smiled and nodded. "It's the same as my Nibelheim," she told him. "That's why this place is…… our Nibelheim."

Tifa walked away from the truck and returned to the gate. A shadow appeared where she had stood, sitting by the truck. It was a shadow of Cloud. The darkness receded, leaving only Cloud behind. He stood slowly, his blue eyes glazed as though he were in a dream. He looked at Tifa distantly, and then looked down at the ground.

"Five years ago… two men from SOLDIER came…" began Tifa. She looked once more into the town. "Sephiroth and…… a young and vibrant soldier." Turning away from the town, she looked at Cloud. "Can you tell me again what happened?"

The Cloud standing before her vanished and then reappeared by the town gate. Tifa joined him, standing on the other side of the gate. A third figure appeared between them. It was Sephiroth. He looked so real that it was hard to believe he was nothing but a memory. The soldier raised his head and looked at the town, his face impassive. Then he turned away from the town and spoke to the empty air.

"_How does it feel?"_ he asked.

"Five years ago…" Tifa began. "I saw the real Sephiroth for the very first time."

Cloud looked at her, and then turned his eyes to Sephiroth. Tifa did the same. She tried to recall her first impressions when she first laid eyes on the tall, silver-haired man who, back then, was one of Shinra's most famous and highly-prized members of SOLDIER. There were few back then who did not know the name of Sephiroth, much less speak his name without feelings of awe and envy. Even in this country town, Sephiroth's name was spoken with awe. It was soldiers like Sephiroth, and other top-ranking soldiers, who made men aspire to join Shinra's elite army, SOLDIER. All of this went through Tifa's mind as she watched Sephiroth speak once more to the empty air.

"_It's your first time back to your hometown in a long time, right?"_ said Sephiroth. _"So how does it feel? I wouldn't know because I don't have a time…"_

Another voice then spoke, echoing in the air around Tifa. She also saw, in the corner of her eye, Cloud's lips moving in unison with the words, speaking out the memories.

"_Ummm… how 'bout your parents?"_

At this, Sephiroth crossed his arms and looked down in thought.

"So this is… the Great Sephiroth," Tifa whispered.

After a moment's thought, Sephiroth finally spoke. _"My mother is Jenova,"_ he answered the unseen voice. _"She died right after giving birth to me. My father…"_

Tifa caught sight of a slight smile spread on Sephiroth's face. She was surprised. That smile, although not polite in the least, was so unlike the cruel and calculating smile that she had seen on his other avatar. Of course, she had almost forgotten. Sephiroth had once been more than just a powerful soldier. He had been a respected leader, and a role model to all young men.

She shivered as Sephiroth began to laugh, his hand over his mouth to hide his smile. "But to tell you the truth, I thought he was very cold," she admitted.

Sephiroth finally stopped laughing and took a breath. He shook his head. His long silver bangs swayed across his face. _"What does it matter…?"_ he asked. He turned towards the town. _"All right, let's go."_ He walked forward.

"I remember, I felt a foreboding about him." Tifa looked down and bit her lip.

Three more lucid figures appeared behind him and approached the town. One of the figures was Cloud, standing at the rear of the trio. The other two were Shinra soldiers in pressed blue uniforms. The three became solid as they stepped onto the stone path, and came to a stop before Tifa and Cloud.

Cloud raised his eyes and gazed upon the memory of himself as he was five years ago. This was as he remembered it: himself entering Nibelheim with Sephiroth. He walked forward and stepped into the image, which rippled as he did so. The two merged as one being. Cloud then looked at Tifa, to see her response.

Tifa's eyes saddened, and she shook her head regretfully.

"No, Cloud," she said. Her heart ached in her chest. Unable to bear the pain, she turned away from him. "I've been hiding it for some time, afraid that if I told you… something terrible might happen. But, I'm not going to hide anything anymore."

At this, Sephiroth and the two soldiers vanished, leaving only Cloud. Tifa took a deep breath, sighed heavily, and then turned to face him. His eyes were fixed on her. His expression was earnest, yet fearful. Tifa felt her heart wrench in her chest, but she had no choice now. The truth had to be told.

She took another deep breath and said: "You weren't here. Cloud did not come to Nibelheim five years ago."

These were the words Cloud had feared. He lowered his head. A look of anguish crossed his face, and Tifa thought her heart might break in two. As hard as it was, Cloud had to know the truth now. There was no turning back.

Another person appeared by the town entrance. It was Tifa, as she was five years ago. She was sitting on the dusty path with her eyes fixed on the floor. Her hands played absently with the laces of her knee-high boots. She looked as though she was waiting for someone. Every so often the younger Tifa would look up and gaze out of the town, but then her eyes would return to the ground, and she would sigh sadly. Tifa gazed upon her younger self. Their expressions were mirrored.

"I---waited," said Tifa. "But, Cloud… never came." Her younger self suddenly lifted her head, as though she had heard something. She stood and looked down the path. "The two that were ordered here were Sephiroth and another person…"

As they watched, the younger Tifa's eyes opened wide as she spotted someone approaching down the path. Swiftly she turned and ran back into the town, leaving a trail of dust in her wake. Sephiroth's image returned in her place, and he turned to look down the path.

"_All right, let's go,"_ he said.

The two soldiers reappeared, walking past Cloud and coming to stand near to Sephiroth. Cloud turned to look behind him as a third figure drew near. His eyes widened; his face paled. It was not him who was walking up to the gates of Nibelheim. It was somebody else. A different soldier; he was also wearing the uniform of the Shinra SOLDIER First Class. He was taller than Cloud, with a strong, well built frame. His face was kind and he was probably no older than twenty, if that. His eyes were blue and had the same bright glow that was the trademark of all members of SOLDIER.

Cloud stared at the young soldier, his eyes growing wider. Strapped to the young man's back was the Buster Sword, the same sword that Cloud was wearing at this very moment. His hand strayed towards it, but he froze as the young man came to a stop before him and looked around at his surroundings. His eyes met Cloud's, although he did not see him. A white light filled the landscape, and the young man and Nibelheim faded from view. When it faded, Cloud and Tifa were back on the stone platform, just outside of Nibelheim. The young man was gone.

"You mean—" Cloud whispered, his voice shaking, "—that member of SOLDIER who came with Sephiroth wasn't…… Cloud……?"

"There's nothing…… I can say……" said Tifa. She turned away from him again. "You must find the answer yourself…… If you can't…… Then you……"

She cut herself short, refusing to finish what she had been going to say. It was not for her to decide what would happen if Cloud could not find the truth within himself. It was all up to Cloud. All she could do was stand with him as he uncovered it, piece by piece. She was worried that Cloud would try to rush and force some kind of truth from his memories, in his desperation to find himself. She saw that desperation, that yearning, in his eyes. Tifa straightened her face and turned back to him.

"Take your time, Cloud," she said. Her voice was soft but stern. "Slowly…… Little by little, okay?"

Cloud looked back at her and his blue eyes filled with a longing for the truth. He looked back at Nibelheim. Tifa watched him, and she wondered what thoughts were going through his head right then. She could not even begin to guess, but she could tell by the spasm of pain that crossed his features that they were troubling. His fists clenched, then relaxed. Cloud lowered his head and sank slowly to the floor, sitting once more on the path, staring into the town.

Tifa returned to the central podium. There was nothing she could say that would ease Cloud's fears. For better or worse, he had to uncover the truth behind himself. There was no time for false promises or kid gloves.

She came to a stop in the middle of the platform and looked at the two remaining paths, wondering which one she should take next. The platform to her right held an image of the old wooden well in the middle of Nibelheim. The other platform was still a mystery to her. No matter how hard she tried, she could not figure out what that window was meant to symbolise. She started to head towards it, but then changed her mind and headed towards the other platform. She stopped on the path behind Cloud, who sat gazing up at the well.

Sensing her presence behind him, Cloud stirred and rose to his feet. His gaze rose above the well, to the eerie luminescent sky, and he shook his head sadly. "That starry night at the well…… And our promise that night…… What if the memory was just a lie?"

"Don't hurry, Cloud……" Tifa told him softly. "Don't answer too quickly." She reached out and brushed her fingertips against his arm. Her touch drew Cloud's gaze away from the sky, and he glanced over his shoulder to look at her. "Just keep checking all those small emotions and it'll come back……" she said. "Slowly…… little by little…… Right… like the sky that night…… the heavens were filled with stars……"

Cloud's eyes half-closed as he tried to remember the scene. The landscape stirred, and the glowing green sky shifted and grew darker, until it was a beautiful nighttime blue. The sun was still setting in the distance, and the horizon was a mid-blue. Stars emerged from the heavens, twinkling with their own inner light. Looking up, Tifa felt herself getting lost in the vast ocean of stars. Yes, this was the sky she remembered.

Tifa pulled her gaze away from the stars and looked over at Cloud. He, too, was gazing up at the stars. The fighter reached out and touched his arm, drawing his attention once more. He looked at her, and she smiled.

"From the beginning… okay?"


	15. Part Twelve: Chapter 14

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Fourteen**

Cloud and Tifa stood together on the old well. The buildings of Nibelheim were all around them, dark and silent. Only the inn remained in full light as business went on well into the night. Tifa ignored the town and kept her eyes fixed on Cloud, who in turn kept his eyes lowered to stare at the wooden planks.

"Try and remember Cloud," said Tifa, and Cloud raised his gaze slightly, looking at the corner of the well.

Two small figures appeared, sitting on the corner between him and Tifa. One of those figures was Cloud as he was seven years ago, aged just fourteen, tapping his feet against the wood. The other was Tifa, aged thirteen. Tifa examined the memory of her younger self closely. She paid particular attention to the way her younger self was dressed; a beautiful turquoise dress, and high-heeled shoes.

"Right, I was wearing these clothes," she said, nodding satisfactorily. She then turned her attention to the younger Cloud, in his white T-shirt, still tapping his feet against the wood with a nervous look on his face. "That's you, too. You were so small then……" She sat down beside her younger self, imitating the way she sat. She smiled; a soft, tender smile. "…And cute."

Tifa turned her head to look at Cloud. At the same time her younger self also turned and looked at her own Cloud. At Tifa's gaze, Cloud looked away, unable to face her.

"Sephiroth once said…" began Tifa. "Cloud made up his memories by listening to my stories…" She raised her eyes to the starry sky above them. "Did you imagine this sky? No, you remembered it."

The fighter drew her knees up to her chest as she gazed up at the stars. The beautiful stars, thousands upon thousands of them, glittered and twinkled in the sky. Tifa knew that up there in the sky, thousands of planets were being born. New life would emerge from the Lifestream, just as they did on this one. A never-ending cycle of new life all there in that single sky. Tifa closed her eyes, remembering that night.

"That night the stars were gorgeous. It was just Cloud and I. We talked at the well…" She exhaled softly, and opened her eyes. "That's why I continued to believe that you were the real Cloud. I still believe you're the Cloud from Nibelheim…"

As she talked, the young Cloud and Tifa continued on in silent conversation. Their lips moved voicelessly, oblivious to the presence of the older versions beside them. After a while the young Cloud stood up and faced Tifa. He spoke, and his words caused Tifa to stare in awe. Cloud then walked away from them all and went round to the back of the well. A few moments later he appeared at the top of the well and looked up at the sky, seeing his dreams in the stars.

"But you don't believe in yourself…" continued Tifa. She, too, raised her eyes to the heavens, and this time her eyes were filled with sadness. "These memories aren't enough…"

The memories of their younger selves faded. Cloud and Tifa returned to the stone path. Tifa's face was troubled; her brow creased in deep thought. After walking a few paces she stopped and turned to Cloud.

"Cloud, what about your other memories? No, not memories," she said, shaking her head. "A memory is something that has to be consciously recalled, right? That's why it can sometimes be mistaken for a different thing……" Her brow creased further as she trailed off. Cloud watched her as she mulled things over in her mind, talking quietly to herself.

"But it's different from a memory locked deep within your heart……" she whispered. "That's why it must be a fake. If he could recall up that memory…… That's it!" she announced, slamming her fist triumphantly into her palm. "What about some memory that has to do with me? I say something and you don't remember it…… But you say something, and I remember it, too… Then we'll know that's our memory…… Talk to me. About anything, some important memory to you… Now that you mention it, why did you want to join SOLDIER in the first place? I always thought it was a sudden decision you made……" She looked to Cloud, waiting for his response. His expression was pained, as though even this memory tortured him deep inside.

……_I was devastated. ……I wanted to be noticed._

"……I was devastated. ……I wanted to be noticed," answered Cloud finally. His words were soft, barely above a whisper.

"Someone to notice you…? ……Who?"

_Who……? ……You know who! ……You, that's who._

Cloud sighed heavily. "You……"

Tifa blinked. "……Me? Why!?"

"Tifa…… Did you forget…… about those days?"

The fighter jumped, startled. Those words had not been spoken by the Cloud standing before her, but from someone else. Quickly, Tifa turned to look behind her.

Sitting on a pillar around the central platform was Cloud. A young Cloud, just as he was seven years ago. He sat there, one knee drawn up to his chest, and the other swinging back and forth, his heel tapping the stone. Tifa stared up at him, her eyes wide, wondering if he was the one who had spoken, or if he was another memory summoned by Cloud's subconscious. The young Cloud raised his head and met Tifa's gaze. His eyes were different from the Cloud she knew. They did not have the mako-induced glow. However they were alert and responsive. Although they did not have the same mako-glow that Cloud had, they were very piercing, staring at Tifa intently.

"Look…… I……" Tifa shook her head. "I'm sorry…… But what are you talking about?"

The young Cloud pulled up his other knee and stood up. He peered over the edge of the pillar, measured the distance, and then jumped off. He walked to the middle of the platform. "No…… it's all right," he said, though his voice sounded sad. "You were having a hard time back then. You were so busy with your own things, it's only natural you don't remember me back then."

Tifa walked back to the central platform, leaving Cloud to turn and sit back down on the path, staring up at the well. The fighter walked until she was just a few feet from the younger Cloud. There she stopped, watching him.

"'Back then'?" she asked.

Cloud nodded. Then he looked down and bit his lip. "It's important to me…… I hate to say it but… It's a very important memory…… Do you want to see it?" His eyes strayed across to the final path, to the closed window that lay at its end.

Tifa looked at the window, too. Once more she felt that she knew this window somehow. There was something very familiar about it, and yet unfamiliar at the same time. Where had she seen this window before? She walked down the path towards the window, the eyes of the young Cloud upon her. She walked up to the final Cloud, sitting on the path looking up at the closed window. Sensing her presence, Cloud stirred and spoke.

"……A sealed up secret…… wish…… Tender memories…… no one can ever know……"

Cloud stood up and stepped aside, allowing Tifa to pass. The young Cloud ran past her and went to the window, beckoning her to follow. Tifa did so and stopped beside him. Together they looked at the window. It was simple, made of wood, with glass that was slightly dusty. Tifa leaned forward and stared, trying to see inside. Was that a room she could see on the other side?

"Do you know where this window goes to, Tifa?" the young Cloud asked. Tifa shook her head, not taking her eyes from the window. Cloud smiled softly. "Fine……" he said. "I'll go." He looked back at the window.

Tifa did the same. She stared at the window, waiting for something to happen. She blinked, and when she opened her eyes she was startled to find that she was no longer standing outside the window. She was now standing inside a room: a room that she knew very well.

"My room?"

Cloud nodded. "It was my first time there."

It was indeed Tifa's bedroom, from her old home in Nibelheim. Tifa turned on the spot and looked around her. Everything was just as she remembered it. There was her bed, large and comfortable, with her favourite cuddly toys sitting by the wall. Her dressing table, her wardrobes, even her piano was here. She turned round and round, taking it all in.

She turned towards the wardrobe, and stopped in surprise. Sitting in the corner by the wardrobe was Cloud. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to her, or to his younger self, who was standing just beside her. He was looking at the window. Now Tifa remembered the window. It was her bedroom window, but only from the outside. No wonder she hadn't recognised it. She then realised what the young Cloud had said, and she turned away from the window to look at him in bewilderment.

"Was… it?" she asked, confused.

Cloud nodded. "I only used to look up at it from outside."

Tifa opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word there was a second flash of bright white light.

When the light faded, there were four more people standing in the room with them. One of those Tifa recognised as herself, aged just eight. She was huddled in the corner between the bed and the window, her knees drawn up to her chest, her head buried in her knees. Her hair fell thick around her face, hiding it from view. Standing around her were three boys of a similar age… her closest friends.

Tifa took a step towards them. A wistful look came into her eyes, and her vision misted over as tears threatened to well up and pour down her cheeks. These boys… she had almost forgotten about them, it had been so long. She longed to reach out and touch them, to see if they were real. The boys gathered close around her younger self, awkward and sympathetic looks on their faces. Tifa started to reach out her hand when the boy by the window suddenly moved and looked out.

"_Hey, look! Cloud's coming!"_ he said.

Tifa halted in her movement and quickly turned her gaze to the window. She hadn't noticed before, but the landscape outside the window had changed. It was no longer the platforms and the paths, but the town of Nibelheim. She could see the well in the centre of town, and the inn behind it. She lowered her gaze and saw Cloud running towards the house. He ran up to the gate and stopped, looking up at the window.

The boy by the window looked back down at him. Cloud didn't seem to have seen him, and he made no move to approach the house. He simply stood by the gate, looking up. _"You think he wants to come in?"_ the boy asked, looking at Tifa.

Tifa did not answer. In fact she did not seem the least bit interested in anything that was being said. She raised her head slightly, but her hair kept her face hidden from view. She said nothing, and put her head back on her knees. Outside, Cloud finally seemed to make up his mind and ran into the garden, heading for the front door.

Tifa stepped back away from the window. Something seemed to be troubling her, and she turned to the young Cloud standing beside her. "Was that the first day you came into my room?" she asked. She thought harder, and then she sighed. "…That's right. We lived next to each other. But I didn't really know you that well. I've known you since we were children and always thought we were close…" She sighed again. At the same time, her younger self raised her head again and shook it slowly. She did not want Cloud to come in. Tifa took her gaze from them and scanned the room. "Now that you mention it…" she added. "I don't recall you ever being in my room…"

Cloud nodded. He looked over at the three boys gathered around Tifa. "Tifa was always with this threesome."

"…That's right." Tifa smiled.

"I used to think… they were all stupid."

Tifa spun round to face him, her eyes wide with shock. "What!?"

Cloud scowled and looked away, refusing to look at her or the other boys in front of him. "You were all so childish," he said curtly, "laughing at every little stupid thing."

"But we were children, back then," protested Tifa.

Cloud's features softened. A guilty look crossed his face and he turned away sheepishly. "…I know. I'm the one that was stupid," he admitted. "I really wanted to play with everyone, but I was never allowed into the group. Then later… I began to think I was different… That I was different from those immature kids. That then… maybe…" He fell silent, flushing in embarrassment.

A second flash of light filled the room. Tifa turned to the far corner, to where Cloud was still sitting silently. His image wavered and as Tifa watched a second Cloud emerged from the form of the first. His image flickered, becoming engulfed in a dark shadow almost every few seconds, as though he was not quite complete. He stood beside his young self. His voice echoed in the room, though his mouth did not move.

"_Just maybe, they would invite me in. I thought that might happen, so I hung around…"_

"I was so prejudiced," said the young Cloud regretfully. "And… weak." At this he clenched his fists tight, until the knuckles turned bone-white. He bit his lip and glared at the floor. His body began to shake, as though unable to contain his anger.

"_That night I called Tifa out to the well… I thought to myself Tifa would never come… That she hated me."_

"Yeah… it was so sudden. I was… a bit surprised." Tifa thought back to that evening; the evening Cloud announced he would be leaving Nibelheim for Midgar. "But… it's true that we weren't THAT close, but… After you left town, I really thought about you a lot. I used to wonder how Cloud was doing. I wonder if Cloud was able to get into SOLDIER?" She looked down and smiled, her cheeks flushing faintly. "I started reading the newspapers, thinking that there might be an article about you."

The young Cloud relaxed his fists and looked up at her. There was a gentle smile on his face. "Thanks, Tifa. Tell him what you told me, later. He'll probably be so happy."

"Okay!" said Tifa. She was happy to see such a sweet smile on his face. Now that she thought about it, the Cloud that she knew from her journeys had never smiled like that. It was nice to see that smile, if only on the face of a memory. She returned her attention to the room and to the four figures still in the corner. "Huh? What happened on this day? Was it a special day?"

The instant the words were out of her mouth Tifa knew she was wrong. It was a special day, but not special like a birthday or a wedding day. The atmosphere, the feeling, it was all wrong. Her friends all had worried looks on their faces, and her younger self was huddled up in the corner, trying to hide her face. Tifa's heart clenched tight as she suddenly realised what day this memory had come from.

The smile vanished from the young Cloud's face. He turned to face her. "This was the day…" he began, but could not finish. His adult self shook his head and looked away.

"_Tifa's mother…"_

Tifa finished it. "The day Mom died…"

Her younger self finally raised her head, and her face became visible through the long lengths of hair. Her eyes were red; her cheeks wet with tears. She struggled to meet the eyes of her friends. Eventually she gave up and put her head back on her knees, her hair hiding her face once again.

"_I want… to see… mom…"_ she said brokenly. She then stood and fled the room.

Tifa felt tears come into her eyes. Had it really been twelve years since this day? She was ashamed to admit it, but she _had_ almost completely forgotten about the day her mother died. The memories of Sephiroth and the things he did, including the murder of her father, had shadowed many of Tifa's other memories. It was… sad. Tifa caught her tears with the back of her hand, overcome, remembering the grief and loss.

* * *

"_I wonder if there's anything beyond that mountain?" asked Tifa curiously._

_She and her three friends stood on the winding path at the foot of Mt. Nibel, looking up at the mountain. The tears had now gone from Tifa's face, wiped away in anger as she stormed out of the house to come here. Her friends had come with her to this place, though they had no idea why she had come here. They simply followed her._

_One of the boys stood further down the path and turned to her. "Mt. Nibel is scary," he said. "Many people have died there."_

"_No one crosses that mountain alive…" said the boy behind her._

_Tifa turned to them, her eyes flashing in earnest. "How 'bout those that died?" she asked. "Did mama pass through the mountain?" She looked up at the mountain, with its grey, lifeless rocks, dipping paths, and treacherous passes. The children of Nibelheim were always told that they were forbidden to play here. In fact this was the closest Tifa had ever come to Mt. Nibel, and that she stood before it, she was filled with a deep longing to know what was on the other side. Perhaps the dead did cross the mountain and wait on the other side for the living to come and find them. Perhaps her mother was there, waiting for her to come._

_With this thought in mind, Tifa's face settled in determination. She walked forward, past her friends, and stopped ahead of them. She raised her eyes to the mountain._

"_I'm going!" she proclaimed, and then carried on walking boldly down the path._

_Two of the boys walked after her, mimicking Tifa's brave face and confident stride. The third boy, however, was not so quick to follow them. He looked up at the mountain. The mountain was dangerous and filled with monsters, and although he was loyal to Tifa and to his friends, he did not dare follow them into the mountain. He shuffled uncomfortably, watching, before he turned and fled from the mountain._

_On his way he passed Cloud, who had followed the group after they had left Tifa's house. He had not approached them but stayed a little way behind, just out of sight. Cloud watched in surprise as the boy ran past without even noticing him, heading back to town._

_Cloud turned and looked down the path. He saw Tifa and the other two boys further down; they had reached the mountain now. They did not seem to have noticed that the third boy was not with them. Either they didn't notice or they didn't care, for they never even looked back to check. Without hesitation Cloud ran after them._

_Tifa kept on walking until she reached the bridge. The bridge was years old and in very bad repair, and as such was likely very unstable. Tifa paid no attention to this and strode onto it without even altering her pace. Her heels clicked against the old wood, which creaked beneath her weight, but Tifa was unconcerned. Her mother was waiting for her on the other side of this mountain, and no rickety old bridge was going to stop her from getting there._

_Her two friends also stepped onto the bridge. The boy in front suddenly stopped, and his friend almost walked into him. Their confidence and resolve to follow Tifa all the way had faltered the further along the path they walked. The four of them had always talked about ignoring their parents and crossing Mt. Nibel, but in truth it had always just been talk, no more than a game. To actually do it and cross the mountain was a different matter entirely. So they stopped. They did not call out to Tifa or try to dissuade her from crossing. They just stopped, looked at each other, nodded, and they also turned and ran away._

_They also passed Cloud, who was following just a short way behind and had just reached the bridge. Like before, neither of the two boys gave Cloud a second thought as they hurried back down the path. Cloud went to the edge of the bridge and looked up at Tifa, who continued to walk confidently across the bridge even though her friends had now abandoned her. It was possible she had not even noticed they were gone, or if they had followed her in the first place. She held her head high defiantly, all her thoughts fixed on making it through the mountain._

_Cloud stared up at her. He could not believe that Tifa's friends had abandoned her. What was more amazing was that Tifa continued on even though she was alone. Cloud had thought… had hoped… that if he followed Tifa and her friends into the mountain, they might see him and invite him along on their quest. Now Tifa was alone. It was up to him now to make sure that nothing happened to her. He hurried onto the bridge._

* * *

When Tifa next opened her eyes, she was standing in an area filled with a bright white light. Cloud was standing beside her, with his shadow standing between them. Their eyes were fixed directly ahead.

Lying on the ground a few feet away were Cloud and Tifa. Cloud was on his back, dazed. His knees were scraped raw and bleeding, but otherwise he looked okay.

Tifa, on the other hand, looked in very bad shape. She had cuts and bruises all over her body from where she had fallen, and her dress was covered in dirt. Blood leaked from a cut on her head where she had hit it against a rock. She was not moving.

"I don't remember the path I walked," the shadow Cloud was saying. There was a deep sadness in his voice. "Tifa missed her step. I ran to her… but didn't make it in time. Both of us fell off the cliff. Back then, I only scarred my knees, but……"

He fell silent as a man stepped into the light. He saw the two youngsters lying there, and when he saw Tifa covered in dirt and with blood across her face, he cried out and ran to her side. Another man ran in behind him. Tifa recognised him instantly; it was her father. He must have come to the mountain looking for her. Her father stared at her younger self, and then turned to Cloud, his eyes blazing with anger.

"_Cloud! Why'd you bring Tifa to a place like this!"_ her father shouted angrily, shaking his fist. The other man gently scooped Tifa up in his arms, careful to keep her head as still as possible. At the sound of her father's voice, Cloud's body twitched and he slowly raised his head, groaning. _"What the hell is the matter with you!?"_ Her father was practically screaming at him.

Cloud ignored him and looked over at Tifa, who was being carried away by the other man. He caught a glimpse of her face as she was carried away. Her eyes were closed as though she was sleeping, and she looked pale. Blood covered half of her face, and her hair was matted with it. She was not moving. Cloud paled at the sight of her and he shook his head. No, it wasn't real. He struggled to sit up.

Tifa's father was burning with a rage so hot it was almost physical. _"What if she dies!?"_ he yelled.

He then cursed and walked away, following the man who held his daughter. They left Cloud behind, sitting there alone. Cloud closed his eyes and clenched his fists tight.

Tifa watched all this in utter silence. Of course, she remembered it now. She been striding along the bridge and not really looking where she was going. All her thoughts had been fixed on making it across the mountain and finding her mother. She had been close to reaching the other side when the plank beneath her split apart. She vaguely remembered hearing someone call out her name before she fell… and that was the last thing she remembered of that day.

"Tifa was in a coma for seven days," she heard Cloud's voice say. "We all thought she wouldn't make it. If only I could've saved her… I was so angry… Angry at myself for my weakness. Ever since then, I felt Tifa blamed me… I got out of control… I'd get into fights not even caring who it was."

The images faded, and everything returned to blackness.

"_That was the first time I heard about Sephiroth. If I got strong like Sephiroth, then everyone might…"_

They were now standing on the path in Memoria outside the memory of Tifa's bedroom window, just Tifa, Cloud, and his shadow. The young Cloud had vanished along with the final memory. The shadow Cloud tried to look at Tifa, but faltered, and was forced to look away.

"If I could just get stronger……" he said. "Then even Tifa would have to notice me……"

"So that was it……" breathed Tifa, nodding slightly. Yes, everything made sense now. Cloud's reason for joining SOLDIER… it was all because of that day. He had failed to protect her that day, and that failure made him decide that he would join SOLDIER, Shinra's most elite fighting unit. So that, next time, he wouldn't fail. "Sorry, Cloud. If I had remembered more clearly what happened, I could have done something sooner……"

The other Cloud stepped forward and shook his head. "It's not your fault, Tifa."

Tifa turned away, thinking. "But, I remember back when we were eight!" she said. She thought harder, and then her eyes lit up. "That's it! Now I know!" She turned back. "You weren't created five years ago! My childhood memories weren't all made up! Hang in there, Cloud! Just a little longer! You've almost found the real you!"

The two Cloud's nodded. There was a little more confidence in their expressions, as though pieces of the puzzle were finally starting to fit together at last. Tifa turned away again and looked around her. Her eyes strayed to the path on the other side of the platform—the path that led to the memory of Nibelheim. She nodded.

"Let's go back to Nibelheim again……!

The two Cloud's stared, confused, and then slowly nodded. Yes… if there was an answer to the puzzle of his memories, then it would be in Nibelheim. Everything began with Nibelheim, and there it would end. His shadow self raised his head and walked up to him. The two joined, merging together until they were one. Cloud then nodded again, this time more firmly. He then ran past Tifa towards the Nibelheim path. Tifa followed, watching him.

The truth was there, in Nibelheim.

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

Well, this is the last chapter before the New Year. Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a nice Christmas. I have a few bits of information for you.

I've added a poll to my profile page. You can now vote for which FF7 game you want me to write up after this one. I've got Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus listed. I also added Advent Children, but I doubt I'll be doing that one. I've begun script-taking for Dirge of Cerberus (currently at WRO Headquarters). My friend still has my PSP and copy of Crisis Core, though. Obviously there will be a good while before I get to that stage, but it means you all have plenty of time to vote.

Secondly, a few years back I made an FF7 video using the original fmvs. See my profile for details.

Enjoy your new year everybody!


	16. Part Twelve: Chapter 15

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Fifteen**

"The truth is right there," said Cloud. "We almost have the answer right in the palm of our hands."

He and Tifa were stood together on the stone path. Before them was the entrance to the memory of Nibelheim, where they had first started. The memory was incomplete, and it was only when they stepped onto the dusty path that led into the town that the memory grew and expanded, until the whole town appeared before them. The gentle breeze blew around them, carrying with it the familiar scents of home.

Tifa walked up to the town gate and laid her hand on the wooden post. She knew—they both knew—that they were so close to finding out the truth of everything that had happened. All the lies and false memories would be stripped away, leaving only the naked truth. Until now she had been filled with dread, fearful of what truth she would uncover. Now she was filled with hope and she knew that no matter what truth they found, they would go through it together.

She looked over at Cloud, and saw that same hope in his eyes. For the first time since the Northern Crater… no, before that, ever since Midgar, it felt like things were finally coming together. Hearing Tifa say that he was not just a failed experiment created by Professor Hojo had renewed his sense of hope and gave him new determination to find out the truth. Nibelheim was the key to unlocking it all, of that they were both certain. Cloud also walked up to the gate, his eyes gazing around as though he was taking everything in for the first time. Finally his eyes settled on her, and he nodded. They were ready to go in.

They entered the town. Tifa allowed Cloud to pull ahead of her, watching to see where his instincts would tell him to go. He ran past Gramps' Inn, and past the well, too. He ignored the houses, including his and Tifa's, which stood side by side at the other end of town. He ran past them all, heading for the slope that led up to Shinra Manor and the entrance to Mt. Nibel.

At the slope, Tifa stopped. "Cloud, wait!" she called. He came to a stop and turned to her. The fighter stared at him curiously. "Where are you going?" she asked.

At first Cloud seemed confused by her question, but then his face cleared as he understood. Until then he had been running almost automatically, but now that she asked him… He crossed his arms and gave the matter some thought, his foot tapping absently. Where was he going? As he asked himself this question, a single image flashed into his mind.

"……The reactor……?" he whispered. He turned away from Tifa and thought about it some more. The more he thought about it, the surer he became. He nodded. "To the reactor! The Mako reactor of five years ago!" He ran again, hurrying to the reactor.

* * *

Tifa gripped the masamune in her hands. Before her was Sephiroth, trying to wrench the blade from her hands. Tifa closed her fists as tight as she could around the hilt, refusing to relinquish her hold on it. The SOLDIER grabbed her wrists and squeezed, and the young girl cried out in pain. Unwillingly her palms opened and Sephiroth snatched the sword from her grasp. He raised it and brought it down on her.

The blade sliced into her neck and across her shoulder. The force of the blow sent Tifa flying back. Sephiroth's piercing eyes watched coldly as she fell from the platform, her mouth open in a silent cry. She hit the stairs hard, and the first blow sent her senses reeling. Her eyes rolled back and she saw the ceiling spin above her.

She hit the stairs a second time, and this time she was only vaguely aware of the pain. Through glazed eyes she saw something red fall through the air—her own blood. Her vision bounced as she slid down the remainder of the stairs until, finally, she came to a stop. She lay there, unable to move. Her vision was failing, going dark. She breathed faintly, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

Cloud and Tifa watched the events unfold before them. They watched as Tifa's past self struggled with Sephiroth, watched as he slashed her and as she lay bleeding at the foot of the stairs.

They watched as another person ran into the room, just as Tifa hit the stairs for the second time and slid down to the bottom. This person was dressed in the uniform of a SOLDIER First Class, and had spiky hair, _and_ had blue eyes that glowed faintly with the power of mako. He skidded to a halt and stared in wide-eyed horror as he saw the young girl slide to the bottom of the steps, motionless.

"Hey! It's Cloud!" said Tifa.

Sephiroth looked down at the SOLDIER and at the girl he had just slashed, his face cold and uncaring. He then turned away and entered the chamber of Jenova.

Cloud stared long and hard at the SOLDIER who had just run in. It was not him. It was the man from before, the real SOLDIER who had come to Nibelheim that day. The spikes were not short and blond, but long and black. His eyes were brighter and full of confidence. There was the Buster Sword—his sword—strapped to his back. His head began to buzz.

Cloud placed his palm against his head. The buzz was throbbing, almost painful. The SOLDIER's name was on the tip of his tongue. What was it…?

"Za……ck. ……Zac……k."

Cloud faltered; his whole body shook from top to bottom. Of course, he knew this SOLDIER. Somewhere inside him, he had always known. This SOLDIER's face was always there in the back of his mind, but he had pushed it aside without even realising it.

Everything came back to him at that moment, the moment the SOLDIER's name left his mouth. How could he have forgotten such an important memory? Did he really forget it at all? Cloud took a deep, shaky breath and said the SOLDIER's name once more, shaking off the shackles that had chained his memory.

"Zack."

Tifa, who had seen none of this, turned to him in delight. "You remembered!!" she said, smiling broadly.

Before them, the SOLDIER called Zack reached behind him and grasped the hilt of the Buster Sword. He looked at Tifa, lying bleeding before him, and then up at the door leading into the chamber of Jenova. His eyes narrowed. He ran forward, past Tifa and up the stairs, following Sephiroth into the chamber. Cloud watched as the SOLDIER disappeared into the chamber. He heard Tifa speaking beside him.

"That's right! It was Zack who came to Nibelheim with Sephiroth! Then, where were you, Cloud?"

Cloud did not answer her. He simply stared ahead, watching the door closely. After a few moments of entering the chamber, Zack was thrown back out again. The SOLDIER slammed hard into the back of one of the mako pods. The metal dented with the force of the impact, and mako oozed out of the sides of the pod. Electricity crackled around him. Tifa stared at Cloud, and her eyes widened. He had known the SOLDIER's name. If this was indeed the true memory of what happened in Nibelheim that day, then there could be only one way Cloud would know all this. There was only one way he could possibly know that SOLDIER's name…

"Cloud… Did you… see it all?"

Cloud looked up at Zack, lying crumpled against the pod. His body twitched; he could barely move. He tried to lift the Buster Sword, but his strength failed and he sagged against the pod. Cloud tore his eyes away, knowing what was coming next.

"I saw… everything."

Another person ran into the reactor room. Tifa turned to the newcomer. It was a Shinra soldier; she recognised immediately the blue uniform and Shinra insignia on the shoulder pads. This guy was one of the soldiers who had come to Nibelheim along with Zack and Sephiroth to inspect the reactor. There had been two soldiers originally, but one was lost after falling from a cliff during the first trip to the reactor.

Tifa inspected him closely. His uniform was charred and dirty, and he was panting heavily as though he had run a long way. When he saw the scene laid out before him he seemed to freeze. He looked at Tifa and saw the blood pouring from her wounds. His fist clenched and his whole body shook. Gathering himself, he forced his body to stop shaking. He then ran over to Zack and pried the Buster Sword from his hands. Hoisting it up onto his shoulder, he into the chamber of Jenova.

Sephiroth was standing before Jenova, his arms raised in triumph. He was so fixed on Jenova that he did not notice the Shinra soldier come stalking up the pipe behind him. The soldier readied the Buster Sword, grasping it firmly. Only at the last second did Sephiroth realise that he was not alone and started to turn, but by then it was too late. The soldier thrust the sword forward, and Sephiroth cried out as the blade sliced through his gut. The blade came out the other side of the SOLDIER's body and hit the glass of the container holding Jenova. Sephiroth keeled over. He coughed, and flecks of blood dripped from his mouth. More blood dripped down the blade.

"_Aaarrrgh……"_ Sephiroth groaned. He looked at the blade that had impaled him, and then raised his eyes to look at the soldier who had struck the blow. His green eyes blazed, not with pain but with pure rage. _"Who… who are you?"_

The soldier's response was brutal. He pushed the blade further, and the glass behind Sephiroth cracked. Sephiroth groaned and coughed. A broken voice spoke out from beneath the helmet._ "Mom… Tifa… my town… give it back…"_

The soldier then pulled on the blade. It came out of the glass, and mako fluid began to leak out of the crack. Sephiroth grunted as the blade slid out of his body, and when he was finally free he fell to his knees, clutching the wound. Blood spilled from between his fingers. Looking up he saw more of his blood on the Buster Sword's blade, dripping onto the pipe. The soldier stepped back away from Sephiroth, retreating. His breath could be heard, loud and heavy, from inside the helmet.

"_I had so much respect for you…"_ he said as he backed off._ "I admired you…"_

He reached the bottom of the stairs. Lowering the bloodstained sword, he turned away from Sephiroth. His body was shaking from head to foot. He breathed deeply, calming himself. He let go of the Buster Sword, and it clattered onto the floor. Tifa stared at the soldier, and then at Cloud.

"Cloud!?"

The soldier removed his helmet. Tifa's jaw dropped open. Beneath the helmet…… was Cloud. She could scarcely believe her eyes. Cloud lowered his arms, exhaled deeply and rolled his head. The Shinra helmet that had kept his face hidden from view was in his hand. Cloud continued to breathe deeply until, gradually, the shaking stopped.

Tifa put her fingers to her lips, awestruck by what she saw. "That's what happened…" she whispered, realising the real truth.

The landscape began to shimmer and the scenery melted and changed around them. They were now standing in the depths of Mt. Nibel, where the mako fountain flowed. Tifa was there, along with Zack and Sephiroth. And there, standing with them, was a single Shinra soldier. Tifa had almost forgotten that soldier, the one who had survived the fall from the bridge that day. He was an ordinary footman; she had barely noticed him. The soldier was standing to one side, watching Tifa closely.

"…You were there. You were watching me."

The scenery shimmered and shifted again. The Nibelheim Mako Reactor came into view, and Sephiroth and Zack were just disappearing through the door. Tifa, angry at being left behind by the two SOLDIERs, approached the doors. She was stopped by the Shinra footman, who stepped in front of the stairs and blocked her path. He raised a hand and shook his head firmly. Tifa scowled and stamped her foot.

"Yeah, I remember," said Tifa, smiling. "Hmm… So it was you."

Once more the landscape changed, and a scene unfamiliar to Tifa came into being. She found herself standing inside a Shinra truck, riding along the dark dry lands towards Nibelheim. Every so often the truck shuddered as it rode over a rock. Sephiroth was sitting on a crate in front of her. His expression was cold and unreadable. The SOLDIER called Zack was here, too. He paced about the truck, full of energy, and then approached a soldier sitting miserably by the door.

"_Hey, Cloud,"_ she heard him say to the soldier._ "If you're feeling sick, why don't you take that mask off?"_

The soldier raised his head slightly and glanced at Zack. _"Yeah……"_

Cloud watched his past self as he began unclipping his helmet. "Yeah… this is… me," he said. He sighed and looked away. "I… never made it into SOLDIER. I even left my hometown telling everyone that I was going to join, but…" He shook his head. "I was so embarrassed…… I didn't want to see anybody……"

Tifa reached out and touched his arm. The truck and the people in it vanished, and they were returned once more to the entrance of Nibelheim. Tifa saw herself sitting by the gate, waiting for Shinra to arrive. Sephiroth and Zack approached the town, with Cloud and the other Shinra footman following behind. Cloud, upon seeing Tifa, stopped in his tracks and shook his head. Zack turned and watched as Cloud ran back out of the town, hurrying to replace his helmet. Once the helmet was back on he turned to the town. Zack stared at him, confused, and then shrugged.

It was at this point that Tifa raised her head and spotted the approaching soldiers. She stood up. She looked at Sephiroth and then at Zack. Seeing that neither of them was the person she had been hoping to see, she turned and ran away. She barely even gave the other soldiers a second glance.

Sephiroth had spotted the young girl sitting there, and saw her run, but he did not pay her any more attention than that. He stopped near the gate and turned to Cloud, the Shinra soldier._ "How does it feel?"_ he asked._ "It's your first time back to your hometown in a long time, right?"_

The scenery changed once again. A great, burning heat rose around them, and Tifa gasped as she suddenly found herself standing inside Nibelheim. The town was ablaze, and the heat was so real she could feel it burn against her skin, making it prickle. It was smothering; she felt like she couldn't breathe.

The bodies of the victims lay scattered around her. Smoke was pouring from every building—nothing was being spared from Sephiroth's vengeful wrath. Movement caught her eye and Tifa turned towards what was once Cloud's house.

Lying on the ground beside the house was a Shinra soldier—the soldier she now knew was Cloud. He lay staring up at the choking smoke, his body twitching, barely able to move. His clothing and armour was charred. Tifa looked up at the house. The door was open, and the smoke coming from inside was so thick she couldn't see through it. He must have been trying to rescue his mother, she realised.

The blaze rose up around them, swallowing up Nibelheim and all the people in it. When the fires faded, they were standing once again inside the mako reactor. Zack lay crumpled against the mako pod; Tifa was at the bottom of the stairs, lying in a pool of blood.

Cloud came out of the chamber of Jenova. The Buster Sword was strapped to his back. He ran down the stairs and knelt by Tifa's side. Her face was pale, but she was still breathing. Gently he lifted her up in his arms and brushed her hair away from her face. At his touch Tifa stirred and her eyes slowly opened. She looked up at him, her pupils glazed. Her mouth opened and she spoke faintly. Cloud lifted her up in his arms and carried her out of the way, placing her by one of the mako pods. She sank against it and slipped into unconsciousness.

Sephiroth stepped out of the chamber. His face was as pale as Tifa's, and he staggered from the loss of blood. He held the masamune in his hands. The long, slender blade was covered in a sickening, black-green substance. He looked down at Cloud, who looked back up at him. The two of them locked gazes. An outraged fury burned in Sephiroth's green eyes, committing Cloud's face forever to his memory.

Cloud looked back at him with equal anger. His eyes were then drawn downward. Sephiroth was holding something in his other hand, something that dripped more of the black-green ooze. Cloud stared, and his eyes widened.

It was Jenova's head. Even though he was wounded and bleeding, Sephiroth had found the strength to break open the container holding the ancient calamity from the skies and, in his madness, had sliced off her head. Was this his idea of being reunited with his 'mother'?

Sephiroth tightened his grip on the tendrils of Jenova's head. _"Just like you,"_ he said, his voice deep and growling.

The SOLDIER then began to make his way down the stairs, staggering with each step. Even though he struggled, not once did he lower his head or his sword. He walked right past Zack without even looking at him. His boot splashed in the puddle of blood at the foot of the stairs, but he did not even notice. The only time he stopped was when he reached the door, where he looked down at Jenova's head. He paused, staring at the dismembered head, and then walked out of the room.

Cloud stood up as Sephiroth left, indecisive. He knew he should go after Sephiroth, to try and stop him from leaving. But Zack was injured, and Tifa was close to death. He should stay with them, and…

"_Cloud…"_

Cloud stopped and looked up at Zack. The SOLDIER struggled to lift his head. He grunted in pain as he looked at Cloud. When he spoke, it was with great effort.

"_Kill Sephiroth…"_

Zack's words sent a chill down Cloud's spine. He looked up at Zack, who looked back at him. Though his body hurt through and through, he nodded at Cloud. Cloud understood. He reached behind him and grasped the handle of the Buster Sword. Then he ran down the rest of the stairs and followed Sephiroth out the door.

Sephiroth was just about to step onto the bridge. He was still holding his sword, as well as Jenova's head. Cloud stood in the open doorway, his fingers holding the hilt of the massive Buster Sword. Looking at Sephiroth, strolling away without a care, Cloud felt his blood begin to burn. Everything Sephiroth had done here… scorching the town, killing the townspeople, attacking Tifa… Cloud's eyes narrowed in anger. Sephiroth had to pay for it all!

"_Sephiroth!!"_ shouted Cloud. He ran forward, onto the bridge.

Sephiroth stopped and glanced around him. He turned to the side. In a single movement he flicked his twist and thrust the masamune out to his side. The silver blade flashed brightly in the light before it sliced through Cloud's clothes and through his body until it came out the other side. Cloud cried out in pain and stopped, impaled on the blade.

Slowly Sephiroth turned to look at him. His expression was dark and menacing. _"Don't… push… your luck…"_ he warned, his voice a harsh whisper.

He pulled on the blade, but instead of pulling it out, he lifted the blade_ up._ He lifted Cloud up off the ground. Blood dripped down the masamune's blade and dripped onto the bridge. Cloud's head fell back, and his eyes widened in pain, but he could not scream. The pain was too great—too great for him to bear.

Then he remembered Zack, who was counting on him to kill Sephiroth and end his reign of terror here and now. He remembered Tifa, who lay dying or possibly even dead in the next room. He remembered the town, a burning inferno, its innocents slaughtered in the name of Sephiroth's revenge for the Ancients who were sacrificed saving the planet from disaster.

Remembering this, Cloud realised that he could not let Sephiroth leave this place alive. He had to get revenge for everything Sephiroth had done, and he would not give up until he had his revenge.

Cloud shook his head and bit his lip, letting its pain bring back some control of his body. He raised his head and grabbed hold of the masamune's long, slender blade. Sephiroth's eyes widened as Cloud pulled on the blade and swung his legs. The extra weight caused by the movement forced Sephiroth to lower his arm, and Cloud landed back on the bridge. Still impaled on the blade, Cloud began to shift it from side to side, trying to wrench the blade from Sephiroth's grasp.

Sephiroth stared in disbelief as Cloud ignored the searing pain and struggled with the sword. He was astounded that this soldier, who was barely more than a child, could have found the strength to fight against him even in this state.

"…_It can't be!"_ he cursed.

His face twisted in rage, and he tried to push the blade further into Cloud's body. To his astonishment he found that he could not move the sword any further. Cloud had a very firm grip on the blade, and even though the blade cut into his hands and made them bleed, he would not let go.

Cloud raised his eyes and met Sephiroth's gaze. There was so much fury and anger in his blue eyes that Sephiroth was startled. He hesitated. Cloud chose that moment to tighten his grip further on the blade and then it was _his_ turn to pull on the blade. He lifted it up, and Sephiroth was so surprised by this sudden display of strength that he could not relinquish his grip on the sword. He was lifted up off the floor and hung suspended in the air, dangling over Cloud.

Cloud flung his body to the side with all the strength he could muster. He threw Sephiroth over the edge of the bridge. At the same time he released his hold on the masamune, and the blade was pulled out of his body as Sephiroth was thrown through the air.

The SOLDIER slammed hard into the far wall. He then dropped and fell down towards the pool of mako at the bottom of the reactor. He twisted his body round as he fell, until he was looking up at the ceiling. Still holding the masamune in one hand and Jenova's head in the other, he spread his arms wide and closed his eyes. He landed with a splash into the pool of mako, and disappeared beneath its steaming surface.

Now only Cloud alone remained on the bridge. Weakened by the effort and the loss of blood from his wounds, he sank heavily to his knees. His body was cut up inside; his internal organs were sliced up by the sharpness of Sephiroth's blade. His shirt was stained with blood, and more was pouring from the wounds on either side of his body. Cloud leaned against the railings, unable to move anymore. His strength was failing him. He breathed and coughed, feeling blood fill his mouth.

Cloud let his eyes close, and that was the last thing he would remember.

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

Happy New Year everyone!!! Hope it was a good one for you all. Did you make any New Year's resolutions?

We've now almost completed my favourite part of the game. I'm glad I was able to get back into writing, and also glad to see that people are still reading it. ^_^ Thanks to everyone who sends me e-mails, it's nice to hear from you.

I also want to remind people about the poll I have set up on my profile. You can vote for which one you want me to write next: Dirge of Cerberus or Crisis Core. So far Crisis Core is in the lead, but I'm currently taking down the script for Dirge of Cerberus, since my friend has my copy of Crisis Core at the moment. I'm currently on Chapter 8 of that. Remember to vote for which one you want me to do after this. I put up the poll now so you'd all have plenty of time to vote. ^_^


	17. Part Twelve: Chapter 16

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Sixteen**

When those final memories faded, Tifa found herself standing for the final time on the central platform of Memoria. She looked down at Cloud, standing beside her, appearing in the form of his fourteen-year-old self. The look of worry had gone from his face, replaced with a look of resignation, acceptance. He could not look at her.

"Cloud……" began Tifa, but she stopped herself short. What could she possibly say? She longed to apologise for all the doubts and the suffering he must have endured all those years, but it would mean nothing. The past could not be changed with a simple apology. Neither could people. It was up to the individual to accept the past, recognise it as a part of them, and then find the strength to move on.

She was just wondering if Cloud had realised this as well, when he suddenly raised his head and met Tifa's gaze. There was a smile on his face.

"Then… this is goodbye, Tifa," he told her, his smile soft. "Until we meet again……"

The three manifestations guarding the paths of his memory rose to their feet. They turned their backs on the memories and faced the younger Cloud. Tifa, startled by this sudden, unified action, could only watch. "…………!" she exclaimed.

The three Clouds walked forward along the paths until they came to the central platform. One of them brushed past Tifa without even seeing her. Tifa stepped back out of the way, wondering what was happening. The manifestations came to a stop around the young Cloud, who continued to look at Tifa with a serene smile.

The first Cloud then walked forward, approaching the young Cloud. His image flickered and rippled as he stepped _into_ that of the young Cloud. He turned and looked at Tifa, mimicking the young Cloud's stance and smile. The second manifestation followed him, and then the third, until all three were stood as one within the image of the young Cloud. They began to glow, and the light became so bright that Tifa could barely see the images through the blinding light.

Up above her, the final manifestation of Cloud began to descend from the area above. Tifa caught only a glimpse of him through the light as he floated down into the glowing mass before her, joining with the forms of his other manifestations. She saw him rise to his feet. The light then increased in intensity. Tifa felt its hot rays burning the skin on her arms as she raised them to shield her face.

Just when she thought that she was going to burn from the heat of the light, it began to fade. The air around her cooled and after a few moments she was able to lower her arms and open her eyes. She looked ahead at the centre of the platform.

Cloud was lying facedown on the ground in front of her. Just one Cloud, the Cloud she knew. The other manifestations had vanished within the light, merging into one. Tifa started to approach him, but then stopped as he suddenly moved. His body twitched and he inhaled sharply. He moved his hands and placed his palms firmly on the rock. He then began to push himself slowly to his knees. Once on his knees, he tried to stand up. He staggered, unsteady, until he finally managed to stand upright. He raised his head. As he did so he groaned and keeled over, dropping back to his knees. A dark shadow swept over him, smothering him. He fell back to the floor.

"Cloud!!"

Tifa was by his side in an instant. She knelt beside him and placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to help him up. At her touch Cloud's body shivered from head to toe, and he clutched his head as though in pain. His fingers twisted and gripped the blond spikes of his hair, tugging harshly. He writhed on the floor, groaning. Tifa tore one of his hands away from his head and held it firmly in hers, squeezing it tightly.

Cloud responded by clenching his fist tightly around hers. "Uh…… ah, uh……!" he moaned, his body still twisting and writhing. Tifa maintained her grip on him, refusing to let go.

Suddenly the writhing came to a stop, and Cloud became still. Tifa's eyes widened, and her heart clenched. Cloud then gave a shuddering breath, and his body relaxed. The shadows began to retreat from his body, fading away like a bad dream. Colour returned to his face, and he opened his eyes. Tifa tried to help him to sit up, but he pushed her hand away and sat up on his own. He blinked a few times, shook his head to gather himself, and then looked up at Tifa.

"Uh…… Tifa……"

Tifa's eyes filled. "Oh, Cloud……! It's really you, isn't it?"

"Yeah….." answered Cloud. He smiled. "Tifa…… We finally…… meet again……"

Together they stood up. Cloud still seemed a little wobbly, but he was standing on his own two feet. Seeing this, Tifa stamped her foot angrily. "You stupid jerk!" she snapped. "You had us all worried sick!!"

Cloud suddenly groaned and dropped to his knees. He began to tremble. The colour drained from his face. "Krgh……!" he moaned, leaning over. Tifa knelt beside him, terrified that her mock-anger had in some way caused this sudden pain.

"Cloud!? Are you all right!?"

In response Cloud writhed, holding his head tightly in his hands. He tried to lift his head, but the pain was too great. Tifa stayed close beside him, running her fingers through his hair, trying to soothe his obvious pain.

A strange noise then filled the air, and Tifa snapped her head up. She knew that sound without having to think about it. It was the cry of the planet. The cry came from all around her, from the swirling clouds that circled Memoria like a slow storm. Of course, it was the planet's cry that was causing Cloud to writhe in pain. The mako in his bloodstream made his body more sensitive to its cries, down here at least. Tifa's eyes turned and looked at the swirling clouds swirling around Memoria, pulsing faintly with a pale green light.

"V, voice…" Tifa looked down. Cloud was still holding his head, but he managed to bear it long enough to open one eye and look at her. He gritted his teeth. "Their…"

Tifa closed her eyes and listened. She could hear them, too. "I see," she said. "We're… in the Lifestream, aren't we? Everyone's waiting. Let's go back, Cloud. Back to everyone…"

That thought seemed to give Cloud the strength he needed. The trembling slowly stopped, and he lowered his hands. "Yeah, I guess so…" He shook his head, blotting out the sound. "Come on, Tifa. Let's go home……"

The fighter held out her hand once again. This time Cloud took it and Tifa pulled him back onto his feet. Cloud automatically reached behind him. His hand closed around the familiar hilt of the Buster Sword—Zack's sword. The secret of how he got the sword… he would keep to himself. Though his memories were now slipping back into place, there were some that he preferred to keep to himself. He released the hilt and turned to Tifa, who smiled. They were ready to go home.

The Lifestream must have sensed that they were ready to leave, for at that moment the platform and all its memory pathways vanished from sight. The ground beneath them disappeared, but neither Tifa nor Cloud were worried that they might fall. The planet had brought them here to reveal the truth, and now it was sending them back to the world above where they belonged.

Just as they thought, they began to rise up through the Lifestream. It was no longer smothering and choking as Tifa had first felt when she had fallen into it. Instead it was warm and welcoming. Up ahead she could see the light of the world above, growing larger as they floated closer to it. Tifa closed her eyes, ready to feel the wind rushing against her face once more.

* * *

Barret could barely contain his anxiety as he looked down on Tifa. The young fighter lay on the grass before him, her body quite still. His brow was creased in concern, and his lips were twitching. His clothes were damp and dripping, but he did not care about that. All he was concerned about was Tifa.

Barret and the others had been frantic with worry when Tifa and Cloud did not meet up with them. They had returned to Mideel to find that the town had completely disappeared. The ground had opened up and swallowed the town almost entirely, and in its place was a large lake of pure mako. Only a few remnants of buildings remained. The casualties were few, but Tifa and Cloud were not among them.

Fearing the worst, Barret had rushed to the mako lake, trying to find any sign of Tifa or Cloud. The surface of the lake was smooth—there was no sign of them.

Then the water bubbled, and two figures burst up from beneath the surface of the lake. It was them. Without hesitation Barret had dived into the water and swam to Tifa, grabbing her before she could sink again. Vincent had dived in after him and swam to grab Cloud. Together they had dragged the two back to the shore.

Barret leaned over her. "Yo! You awright!? Tifa!?"

Hearing his voice, Tifa stirred. Her body twitched. "U… Unn……?" She opened her eyes slowly and blinked. She saw Barret standing over her, his face filled with worry. She sat up. "Barret… You came back. I……" She shook her head, clearing the fog. Then it came back to her and her eyes widened. "Cloud… Where is he?"

"Don't worry about him," said Barret. He looked over at Cloud. The swordsman was lying just a few feet away, near the lake's edge. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing softly. His face was peaceful and he was smiling softly, as though a weight had finally been lifted from his soul. Barret shook his head. "He's a tough one."

Tifa sighed in relief. "Barret……" she said. "I…… When I was in the Lifestream I saw the real Cloud. I mean, I didn't really find him. Cloud found himself on his own…"

Barret looked at her carefully. He smiled, conceding defeat in the face of this extraordinary young woman. After everything she had been through in her life, she still came out strong as ever, with complete faith in herself and her friends. "Awright, I know…" he said. "I shouldn't have doubted him." He shook his head. "But I can't win against you. You're some kinda lady."

Tifa smiled back at him. A look of weariness then passed over her face, as all the events of the past few days came upon her all at once. Her eyes became heavy; she struggled to keep them open. Slowly she lay back down on the ground, letting her body relax against the damp wood.

"People have so many things pent up inside of themselves…" she whispered. She watched the clouds float by overhead, tinted red by the overshadowing form of Meteor in the sky. She breathed in deeply, exhaled softly. Her eyes fluttered shut. "And they can forget so many things…… Strange…… isn't it…… ……" She became still.

Barret's eyes widened. "Yo, Tifa! Snap outta it!! Tifa……!?"

* * *

A few hours later, when Cloud and Tifa had both regained consciousness, they and all the others gathered in the Operations on board the Highwind. Cloud was at the head of the table, trying to gather his thoughts. When he was ready he turned to face the others, who stood around the table, watching him. Cloud shook his head.

"Everyone…… I'm sorry. I don't know what to say……"

"Don't say anything, Cloud," said Red XIII. "All you've been doing is apologising."

Cloud nodded. It was true. From the moment he woke up in one of the Highwind's cabins an hour ago, to the moment when everyone arrived in the Ops Room for this meeting, all he had done was apologise. It was becoming repetitive, but it was all he could think of to say. Cloud lowered his head. It was time to explain the truth.

"I never was in SOLDIER," he confessed. "I made up the stories about what happened to me five years ago, about being in SOLDIER. I left my village looking for glory, but never made it into SOLDIER……" He sighed. "I was so ashamed of myself for being so weak; then I heard this story from my friend Zack… And I created an illusion of myself made up of what I had seen in my life…… And I continued to play the charade as if it were true."

"Illusion, huh…? Pretty damn strong for a 'lusion, I'd say," remarked Barret.

Cloud nodded in agreement. "I'm physically built like someone in SOLDIER," he continued. "Hojo's plan to clone Sephiroth wasn't that difficult. It was just the same procedure they use when creating members of SOLDIER." He tried to think of the best way to explain it. "You see, someone in SOLDIER isn't simply exposed to Mako energy. Their bodies are actually injected with Jenova cells…… For better or worse, only the strong can enter SOLDIER. It has nothing to do with the Jenova Reunion. But weak people…… like me, get lose in the whole thing.

"The combination of Jenova cells, Sephiroth's strong will, and my own weaknesses are what created me. Everyone knew that. I'm…… Cloud." He spread his palms and shook his head. "……The master of my illusionary world. But I can't remain trapped in an illusion anymore…… I'm going to live my life without pretending."

A smile spread on Tifa's face. "You sure are messed up, Cloud!"

"That means there ain't no difference from before!" said Barret, stifling a laugh. A few of the others giggled along with him, including Tifa. Hearing the giggles, Cloud could not help but smile a little bit. No matter what happened, his friends were still his friends. They would never change.

"By the way, Cloud," said Cait Sith. "What are you going to do now? Don't tell me you're going to leave the ship?"

The giggles fell silent. Even the smile disappeared from Cloud's face as he thought the matter over. "……I'm the reason why Meteor is falling towards us," he said. He raised his eyes and looked at everyone, his expression adamant. "That's why I have to do everything in my power to fight this thing."

"Good!!" said Barret. "Then you're gonna keep fightin' to save the planet!?"

"It's like you always told me, Barret," Cloud said.

Barret stared, confused. What did he mean by that? Then the answer came to him, and he flushed. "Oh, uh, you mean that!"

"What? I don't understand!" said Red XIII, looking from one man to the other. The two men shared a knowing look with each other, and they both smiled. This confused Red XIII even more, and he turned his head repeatedly.

When the two men spoke, they spoke together:

"There ain't no gettin' offa this train we on!"

"This train we on don't make no stops!" chimed in Cait, seemingly unaware that his version was more than a little inaccurate.

No one seemed to notice, or at least didn't care, for they all smiled and cheered in joy. The team was together again at last, and that knowledge left them all feeling energised and ready to take on anything. A member of the Highwind crew opened the double doors and the team left the Operations Room. Some headed towards the bridge, while others went off to different parts of the ship to prepare themselves.

Cloud stayed in the Ops Room for a while, looking over the world map displayed at the back of the room. Cid and Barret had filled him in on what had happened since the fiasco at the Northern Crater, so he knew all about Meteor and Shinra's plans to destroy it using the special materia known as Huge Materia. He had been impressed when he saw the pieces they had collected from North Corel and Fort Condor and agreed that he, too, could feel the immense power radiating from them.

Cid made no small story of his efforts as temporary leader. In fact the pilot bragged so much that Cloud wondered just how much of it was true, and kept looking to Barret for confirmation. The ex-resistance leader would simply shrug, so Cloud stayed silent and let the pilot continue.

As Cloud looked up at the map, he wondered where they would be heading to next. He got the feeling that there were more pieces of Huge Materia out there, no doubt found in a place controlled by Shinra. It seemed that the only way to find out where the next piece was located was to ask a member of Shinra. Cloud sighed. It looked like he was going to have to find Cait and pry the information out of him. Making up his mind, Cloud turned his back on the world map and headed towards the exit.

The Highwind crewmember was still by the door, seemingly waiting for him. Cloud stopped by the door and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. The crewmember stood to attention and saluted. Cloud did the same.

Seeing this as permission to speak, the crewmember grinned broadly. "Cloud, I was deeply moved by your story!" he said. "I'm a really weak person and so I could really understand how you feel, Cloud!" He grinned again. "No one knows when the fighting will begin. But let's get ready!"

Cloud nodded. It seemed he was not the only one who felt that way. It made him wonder… just how many people in the world suffered from this feeling of weakness? How many were punishing themselves for not feeling strong enough to protect the ones they cared about most?

Quickly Cloud pushed that thought aside. There was time to worry about that one later. Now he had other things to think about. Turning, he gave the crewmember a pat on the shoulder and then headed out into the corridor, looking for Cait.

Cait Sith… Now there was a character Cloud still could not fully understand. The cat a member of Shinra—or rather, the person that was controlling him was a member of Shinra. Technically, Cait was still a spy. He was meant to be informing Shinra of their movements and plans, thwarting them at every opportunity. Yet Cait had done more to aid their cause than to drive them from it.

In fact, Cloud realised, aside from glossing over various bits of information, the only real thing Cait had done to hinder them was to steal the Keystone. According to Barret, Cait had been a big help in Junon, helping him and Tifa when they were about to be executed by Shinra. He had provided them with knowledge about the Huge Materia, and the locations of the two pieces they had already collected. He fought alongside them.

Why was Cait doing this? What did he get out of all of this? Had he defected from Shinra, or was he a double agent now? These were all questions Cloud longed to ask him, but somehow he doubted he would get a straight answer.

Another Highwind crewmember informed Cloud that he had seen Cait heading up onto the outer deck. Cloud looked at the stairs that led to that deck. He was surprised Cait could even get that Mog of his up those stairs. Then again, Cait seemed able to move that Mog into many unusual places. It appeared the Mog was more versatile than it looked.

Cloud spotted Cait as soon as he walked on deck. The cat was stood near the stern, looking out at the nearby forest. A little ways in was a large gap where Mideel once stood. Now all that was there was a faint, luminous green glow. It was this that Cait seemed to be looking at. At least, that's what he appeared to be doing. He could be using this moment to report to Shinra for all they knew.

Cloud shoved that thought quickly out of his mind. After everything _he_ had done, such as giving Sephiroth the Black Materia and allowing him to summon Meteor, he had no place to be doubting Cait.

Cait Sith must not have heard Cloud walk up, for as the swordsman stood next to him both the cat and the Mog jumped in fright, and Cait dropped his megaphone onto the floor. Seeing that it was just Cloud, Cait Sith relaxed and wiped his brow. A torn look passed over his furry face, and he lowered his head. The Mog did the same.

"Listen, Cloud," said the cat, somewhat hesitantly. "We're right in the middle of the mission for the Huge Materia, right?" Cloud tilted his head curiously. The cat seemed almost troubled, like he couldn't quite make up his mind on something. Whatever it was, he seemed to come to a decision, for the Mog raised its head and jumped up, waving its large arms. "I know this is kinda outta the blue," the cat continued, "but there's an underwater reactor at Junon. As far as I can see, that's the only one left. That's that. Let's go!"

Well, Cloud thought, there was no need to pry information out of him after all. Perhaps Cait had defected from Shinra, or at least was thinking about it. Not for the first time Cloud wondered about the person who was controlling Cait back at Shinra Headquarters. Who was he?

He decided not to ask. Let the cat have his secrets. The truth would reveal itself eventually. It always did.

He left Cait to his musings and returned to the lower decks. He was making his way toward the bridge when he spotted Yuffie by the walkway. The ninja was leaning over, with her hands on her knees, her head hanging over the edge of the path. She looked pale, and her knees quivered. Cloud went over to her.

"Huh?" Yuffie grunted when Cloud spoke to her. She did not raise her head. Her eyes remained fixed on the workings beneath them. "How would you even know? You don't know how tough it is… getting sick on boats and rides……"

At that moment the engines roared into life, causing the whole ship to shudder from top to bottom. The path beneath their feet trembled, and Cloud felt the slightly unpleasant vertigo sensation as the ship rose off the ground. The ninja paled further and clamped her hand over her mouth.

"So, please……" she mumbled, her words muffled by her hand. "Just leave me alone."

"……I really do understand, Yuffie," Cloud told her. "When I get sick on a flight, it's a real killer." He crossed his arms and tapped a finger against his bicep. "When I was in SOLDIER, I completely forgot about my motion sickness."

The dark look on Yuffie's face said it all. "Oh……" she said with a distinct, menacing tone. "Isn't there any way to prevent this?"

"Well, according to my research……" Cloud began. "First off, if you're nervous, you won't get sick. But you can't always be nervous." He closed his eyes and thought some more. Then he dropped to his knees and began to do some squats, ignoring Yuffie's baffled look. "With this much space, your best bet is to move around while you're riding. It also might be a good idea to stretch out sometimes, too. But in SOLDIER, we spent a lot of time in trucks. That sucked……"

Another thought occurred to him, this time an unpleasant one, and his face paled at the thought of it. He closed his eyes and held his head in his hands, rocking it. "And there's one thing you mustn't do when riding. And that is…… Read! Once you get sick, there's nothing anyone can do. I know it's tough……"

Yuffie tried to raise her head. Even that simple movement seemed to make her feel worse, and she let it drop back down lifelessly. "……So you're a little better off than me," she said quietly. "But I don't feel…… well." She swallowed hard. "Where's the next stop? Can't you get there any quicker? Cloud, put me in your party, so I can get off this ship."

Cloud looked down at the ninja in sympathy. He remembered this suffering all too well. As far back as he could remember (which was quite a long way now that his memories were back as they should be), he had never been able to cope with travel too well. It didn't matter whether the journey was by car or by chopper; he was always left feeling sick to his stomach. Of course that problem was psychological, he knew, since he had not felt sick since he believed he was a member of SOLDIER.

Since there was nothing he could do to help the ailing ninja, he left her to her misery and head on, finally, towards the bridge.

The others were already here, waiting for him to arrive. A number of heads turned to look at him as he stepped up onto the bridge. One of those heads was Barret. The man glared at Cloud with an ambivalent expression: a mix of irritation and excitement.

"C'mon, Cloud! Don't #&$^ around!" the man snapped fiercely. Then he grinned and looked out at the land ahead. "We're goin' to Junon, boyee!!"

Cloud scratched the back of his head and sighed. He then looked left at Tifa, who was also looking out at the land as it swept by beneath them; the Highwind was now making its way northwest towards Junon.

As though sensing his gaze, Tifa turned and looked at him. She smiled at him, and seeing her smile, Cloud could not help but smile back a little. Yes, he was right. No matter what happened, his friends were still his friends. They would never change.

Something he was thankful for.

* * *

**End of Part Twelve**

**Part Thirteen: Key to the Ancients**

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

Well, that's another section completed. Only three parts left to write. I split the story into fifteen separate parts. In case you're interested, Part Fourteen is called_ Gene Warfare_ and Part Fifteen is called_ One Winged Angel._

I also think this instalment is going to end up the biggest out of all of them. Particularly since I'm on Chapter 16 and still have Junon, Rocket Town, Cosmo Canyon, the City of the Ancients, Midgar and Northern Crater to do.

Oh, that's right… I almost forgot. Now that Memoria is complete, I'm going to be working on the Bonus Instalment for the next chapter or so. I'm going to be writing up the flashback in Nibelheim, so you can get a little more Zack out of me. Be sure to check there for my next update, okay?

Also, thanks to everyone who views my updates still. I noticed I get viewers from places like Korea. I'm so honoured. 고맙습니다 (I hope this is right; I don't know any Korean, just basic Japanese.)


	18. Interim: Memories of the Past

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**[Five Years Previous - After Nibelheim Tragedy]**

It did not take long for Nibelheim to burn to the ground. A matter of hours was all it took. The village was ruined beyond recognition. The flames had ravaged every single building, leaving nothing but a smouldering ruin.

There had been very few survivors. Those that did survive were in no condition to move, suffering from horrendous burns and smoke inhalation. The Shinra soldiers that arrived shortly after carted the survivors away on stretchers to the only building left untouched by Sephiroth's rampage.

Shinra Manor was the only building left standing, standing as solitary guard over the smoking remains of Nibelheim. Though it had remained predominantly unoccupied for the past thirty years it was very active on that night, as Shinra troops went about destroying whatever evidence they could find relating to the disaster.

Professor Hojo had insisted on coming along when he heard the news of what had happened. He had smiled the whole time during the trip via chopper across the sea. The soldiers tried to give him a wide berth, unnerved by his presence.

His smile grew wider when he saw the destruction that Sephiroth had caused. Of course, he did not believe that Sephiroth had been killed. He, more than anyone in Shinra, knew this. Sephiroth was not a man who could be killed so easily. That was the great gift the power of Jenova's cells brought to man. Almost complete invulnerability.

It was to Hojo's great shame that he had been so far unsuccessful in creating other soldiers like Sephiroth. Sadly, most of his attempts had ended in failure. Those that came close were put to some other use: something that only he and the other top-ranking Shinra executives were allowed to know. The others, if they survived, were either released into society, or simply disposed of.

Of course, if they were released, it would only be a temporary freedom. In time, they would all be called back. No matter how far away they were in, they would all be called back in time for Jenova's Reunion. The Jenova Reunion was Hojo's greatest theory; the reunion of Jenova's cells to her corporeal body. He had distributed many of her cells through his experiments, and he longed to see the results. Still, there was always room for more experimentation.

As such he had immediately laid claim to the survivors of the Nibelheim disaster. Shinra wanted to cover up the disaster and pretend it never happened, so it wouldn't do to have the survivors be allowed to tell their story. Such was the reason he gave to the president himself… who quite readily agreed without much persuasion.

Hojo also laid claim to the two Shinra victims, found collapsed inside the mako reactor in Mt. Nibel. He had been unimpressed when he first saw them, but then changed his mind. As Shinra employees, they had already been exposed to mako… The injection of Jenova cells was only the next step. Their fate had already been sealed, so their bodies, living or dead, may as well serve some useful purpose.

Much to the professor's dismay, both of those experiments proved to be fruitless. The first subject, a Shinra SOLDIER First Class, accepted the Jenova cells into his body without much trouble, but that was no surprise. As a member of SOLDIER, he already possessed a small quantity of Jenova cells. It was part of the process of creating SOLDIER, using Jenova cells to enhance their bodies further, giving them greater endurance and strength than ordinary people. Sadly, the experiment failed to produce the required results, and so Hojo had turned to the next one.

The second subject proved to be a bigger failure than the first. This subject was a mere infantryman, and he had a violent reaction when the Jenova cells had been injected into his body. The resulting reactions had left the subject in a vulnerable, barely conscious state similar to mako poisoning, a condition brought on by too much exposure to mako energy.

So ashamed was he of his failure that Professor Hojo was prepared to eliminate them both right there and then, but then he received word that the Shinra army was returning to Midgar. It had been decided by the president and other executives that Jenova would be transported from Nibelheim to a secure holding in Midgar, and Hojo was required to attend to ensure the specimen was treated with utmost care. So the professor sealed the two failures up in the basement of Shinra Manor and left them under the watchful eyes of his staff.

Then he all but forgot about them.

The two men, sealed up in glass cylinders filled with mako, did not know how much time had passed. It could have been days, months… or even years. The SOLDIER was more active than his companion, who barely seemed to notice anything. He had deteriorated more since being sealed up inside the container. It was a wonder he was still alive at all.

The staff remaining inside Shinra Manor came down to the basement three times a day to give them their meals, as well as maintain the basic upkeep of Hojo's lab. In order to feed them, the glass cylinders had to be unlocked. It was at this time that the SOLDIER, whose name was Zack, planned to make his escape.

It was on one cool morning when Zack put his plan into action. A member of Hojo's staff came reluctantly into the laboratory carrying a tray of food. He ignored the books scattered about the floor—Professor Hojo would be most displeased if his books were disturbed!—and went over to the desk. He placed the tray on the desk, careful not to disturb the papers, and turned to the two containers. The two men inside looked as though they were asleep. Sighing, bored with this constant routine, he went over to Zack's container.

"Hey!" he said, tapping on the glass to get Zack's attention. "This is your food."

There was no response from the dark-haired young man. The SOLDIER's head was limp, his eyes closed in sleep. The man sighed once again and pressed a button to drain the mako inside the container. It drained quickly, and the SOLDIER slumped against the glass. The man pressed his hand against the lock to release it, and the door opened. He turned back to the desk to pick up the tray.

A noise made him stop. He paused and looked around, wondering where the noise was coming from. Then he heard a shuffling and looked behind him. It couldn't be—the specimen was moving! The man darted forward, but the SOLDIER reached out and grabbed him. He yanked the man into the container and punched him squarely in the jaw. The poor man was sent flying; he fell past the desk and smacked his head against a piece of machinery. Then he slumped, unconscious.

Zack, now on his feet, ran out of the container. He went straight to that of his companion and smashed his palm against it, and the door slid open. He did not bother to drain the mako. This all poured onto the floor as the door opened, and the young man inside came toppling out and fell to his knees.

The SOLDIER knelt by his side and examined him closely. The young man's face was pale, almost sheet white, and glistening with mako. His blue eyes were half closed, but Zack could see that the irises had taken on a glowing hue, just like his own.

As Zack watched, the infantryman's body began to shake. He paled further, if that was possible, and his head began to quiver, on the verge of a violent fit. Zack could only watch helplessly as convulsions tore through the young man's body. The tremors lasted only a few moments, and then the young man, whose name was Cloud, crumpled to the floor, his breathing heavy and laboured.

Zack left Cloud for a minute and went to retrieve his sword, the Buster Sword, which had been rather carelessly left lying against a wall. When he returned he found that the infantryman had managed to push himself back to his knees and was trying to raise his head, but the effort was obviously costing him. His arms were trembling; he wouldn't be able to keep himself upright for long. Zack went back to his side and took his hand to pull him to his feet. They were getting out of here _now._

It took him a while to get Cloud out of Shinra Manor and out of town. There were still a few Shinra soldiers patrolling the town, making their escape difficult. He had to half carry, half drag Cloud out of there, for the young man was unable to walk on his own. This slowed them greatly, but Zack would not leave Cloud behind. It was a long journey back to Midgar, but Zack would ensure that they made the journey together.

* * *

"Oh, here!! Put on this. It smells a little though don't complain. You look pretty good with that. Well……"

* * *

Some time later, Zack and Cloud were in the back of a pickup truck travelling through a rocky landscape on its way to Midgar. Zack had replaced Cloud's standard infantryman uniform with the uniform of a First Class SOLDIER. It suited him surprisingly well, Zack thought.

Cloud's condition had not improved at all since leaving Nibelheim. Zack had hoped that there would have been some change by now. Cloud was still unable to walk, and his words were garbled and incoherent. Zack was not too worried, though. He had faith in Cloud. It was only a matter of time before the mako sickness released its grip on him, and then they would move forward together. They were friends, after all.

Until then, Zack just had to be patient. But patience was a thing that was not in his nature. Waiting around made him restless. He paced about the truck, before turning and banging on the glass of the driver's cab to get his attention.

"Yo! Old guy!" he said in a loud voice. "We at Midgar yet?"

"Shaddap! You're lucky I even gave you a ride!" snapped the driver irritably.

Zack frowned and shook his head. Why were all old people so grumpy these days? He turned away from the driver and walked back down the length of the truck to where Cloud was sitting. The young man was still trembling. Zack sat beside him.

"What're you gonna do when we get to Midgar?" he asked Cloud.

Cloud did not seem to hear him. His only response was to try and lift his head. His glazed eyes remained fixed on the floor. "………"

Zack smiled softly and climbed to his feet. He walked to the other side of the truck and looked out at the rock formations jutting up out of the ground as they rode on. "I know what I'm gonna do," he said. "I got a place I can crash for a while… No wait," he added, "the mother lives there, too… Guess that's out…" He sighed and shook his head. Now he had to think of something else.

"………" murmured Cloud softly, not really listening.

"Yep… gotta change my plans!" continued Zack, trying to think more positively. He walked back to the other side of the truck. "Hmm…… No matter what I do, I need some money first…" He thought for a moment. An idea came to him, and he looked at Cloud. "…Hey, wanna start a business? But what could we do?" He looked down at his palms, thinking. "Hey, Cloud. Think there's anything I'd be good at?"

There was no response from Cloud. Zack turned to the driver's cab again.

"Hey old guy! What do you think I'd be good at?"

"What're you yappin' about?" the driver called back to him. "You're still young ain't ya? Young folks should try everything! You gotta pay your dues while you're young. Go out and look for what you really want."

Zack turned away from the cab. "Try everything…" he repeated. "That's easy for him to say…"

The SOLDIER walked to the other end of the truck, trying to think. It was hard to come up with anything. His only ambition in life had been to join SOLDIER and become strong, just like the person he had admired most. Now that Shinra had ordered their termination, that dream was impossible to attain. Surely there had to be another way…

Shaking his head, Zack quickly dropped down into a squat. He pushed himself back up and then dropped again. Squats were his favoured method of exercise, and they also helped to clear his head and allow him to think. And he needed to do some serious thinking about his future.

The SOLDIER did a few squats in that spot, maintaining his balance even though the truck bumped and rattled along the rocky ground. Then he stopped and went over to the other side. He did a few squats there too, before going back to his original spot and doing more. Beads of sweat appeared on his brow, but he did not slow his pace. Suddenly he stopped and turned to Cloud.

"HEY! Of course!" he said. His blue eyes brightened. "I got a lotta brains and skill that other guys don't." He slammed his fist into his palm. "That settles it! I'm gonna become a mercenary! Yeah! Thanks pops!"

"Hey… didn't you even hear a word I said?"

"Listen, I'm gonna become a mercenary and that's that." Zack grinned resolutely. He clenched his fists. "Boring stuff, dangerous stuff, anything for money. I'm gonna be rich! So, Cloud? What are YOU gonna do?"

The driver shook his head. "No, wait… you got it all wrong."

"U… uhhh……" groaned Cloud, raising his head. His glazed eyes fixed on Zack for a brief moment, before dropping back down to the ground.

Zack's smile grew wider. "Just kidding… I won't leave you hanging like that." He walked back over to Cloud and sat down beside him. He touched Cloud's shoulder, giving him a gentle shake. "…We're friends, right?" He leaned close to Cloud and spoke softly. "Mercenaries, Cloud. That's what you an' me are gonna be." He stood up. "Understand, Cloud?" He nodded, smiling.

* * *

Zack stopped the driver when they were close to Midgar. It was dangerous for them to enter through the main gates; Shinra soldiers guarded every exit. If he and Cloud were going to enter Midgar, then they would have to enter through one of the secret aqueducts that led into the slums. The driver did not ask any questions and carried on driving without looking back. Dark clouds were rolling in; it was going to rain.

Zack dragged Cloud through the rocky cliffs. It was hard going. The terrain was uneven and dry, with little moisture. There were only a few patches of grass left growing on the ground; most of it had been sucked dry of life by the reactors from the nearby city.

Still, Zack could not leave Cloud behind, so he struggled hard to take him through the mountains.

They were just making their way across a large cliff when the sound of gunshots filled the air. Zack stopped and looked back over his shoulder. This was bad; it looked like Shinra had finally caught up to them. They were so close to Midgar…

Slowly Zack lowered Cloud onto the ground, laying young man facedown on the rock. He stood. He heard more gunshots, this time closer, and a few pinged off a nearby rock. There was no doubt that those bullets were meant to be for them. The soldiers had to be close by.

Zack gripped his sword by the hilt and ran back a little way to see if he could spot them, see how many there were and, if possible defend himself and Cloud.

It was not long before he found them. In fact he ran straight into the first group, and barely had time to draw his sword before they struck. His sword clashed against their guns, but it was not hard to take them all down. The hard part was that there was a second patrol making its way swiftly up the path, and they had already spotted him.

Zack pulled back. The second patrol would arrive at any moment, and in this place he might not be able to fend them off and protect Cloud. He ran back to the top of the cliff, to where Cloud still lay. He knelt by Cloud's side, preparing to lift him up and carry him off to some place safer. He looked up to see if the patrol was near.

Three bullets suddenly hit him in the chest, and Zack was thrown backward. He landed on the ground and skidded back until he reached the cliff edge. There he stopped and lay still, his eyes fixed on the sky.

Two Shinra infantrymen ran up, followed by their captain, and gathered around Zack. They looked down at him. He was still breathing, but weakly. The SOLDIER struggled to raise his Buster Sword, defiant to the last. One of the soldiers raised his machine gun and fired a repeated series of shots into the defenceless SOLDIER's body, rending him to shreds.

Zack cried out in pain, his body shaking from the bullets that bore into his body. The soldier paused, and Zack fell limp against the ground. His head rolled to one side and lay still. The soldier looked at him closely, trying to spot any signs of movement.

There were none.

Even so, the soldier pulled again on the trigger and fired more shots, just to make absolutely certain that the SOLDIER would not get up. There was one final shudder from the SOLDIER's body, and then he fell limp once more, his eyes sightless.

With that job done, the other soldier and his captain turned to Cloud. The soldier took a step toward the young man and looked down at him. Cloud was still, and his face was pale. He looked almost dead. Seeing this, the soldier turned to the captain.

"What do you want to do with him?" he asked.

At the sound of their voices, Cloud's body twitched. He struggled to raise his head, but could not lift it more than an inch off the ground. "…Ah… ughhhh……" he groaned.

The captain came over to stand beside Cloud. He watched as Cloud's head dropped back to the rock, and his body quivered. Seeing the state that he was in, the captain almost felt sorry for him. The reports he had received on this one were vague, stating that he could not move or talk on his own. What threat could he possibly be to Shinra in this state? Looking down at him, it didn't seem like he would last much longer anyway. What was the point in them killing him when it looked like he was close to death anyway?

He sighed. "…Forget it," he said finally. "Just leave him."

Ignoring the looks he received from his subordinates, the captain turned and headed back down the path. The two soldiers hesitated before following him. They left Cloud and Zack alone on the cliff; one to die, and the other for dead.

It began to rain as the soldiers were leaving. The first drops fell from the sky and landed on the dry ground in a light shower, hydrating the parched ground. Cold droplets fell onto Cloud, who twitched as he felt the icy water fall onto his hair and drip down his neck.

Slowly Cloud opened his eyes and raised his head. His body was aching, as though all his energy had been drained and was unable to replenish it. Something about the coldness of the water seemed to refresh him and give him strength, and he slowly began to push himself up. His movements were shaky at first, and he almost fell, but eventually he managed to push himself up a little bit and looked ahead.

The first thing he saw was Zack. The SOLDIER was lying lifeless at the edge of the cliff, in a pool of his own blood. Cloud stared at him through hazy eyes. He tried to move his legs and stand, but they refused to cooperate, and he could only move them a little. Instead Cloud placed one hand in front of the other and crawled forward, inches as a time, trying to reach his friend.

The rain grew heavier as he crawled, soaking him through. The soil turned to mud and slicked through his fingers as he crawled across the patches of grass. More than once he staggered and almost fell to the ground, but he just about kept his balance and continued forward.

He finally reached Zack's side. There was no sign of life in the SOLDIER's eyes, and his body did not move at all. Cloud stared at him, and then lowered his eyes to the sword resting in Zack's lifeless hand. Reaching out, he pried it gently from Zack's fingers. They relinquished the blade easily, as though Zack willingly passed it on.

He lifted the sword up in his right hand, looking at the blade. It was a monstrous blade, almost as tall as he was. Yet despite the thickness and size of the blade, it was not as heavy as it appeared. Even so, in his weakened state, Cloud's hand trembled trying to hold it up. He then looked down at Zack. Zack had wielded this sword so expertly, like a true SOLDIER should.

Looking at Zack's lifeless body, Cloud felt despair surge over him like a giant tidal wave. Tears welled up in his eyes and poured down his cheeks. He choked. Lifting his head, he looked at the sky with its dark, heavy clouds. Water slicked down his face, washing away the tears. Cloud spread his arms wide, the Buster Sword in his hands.

He cried out in anguish.

He would go on, but he would never forget the gifts Zack had given to him. A future and a legacy to follow… that would be his path now.

Over the next crest lay the city of Midgar. There he would make that dream a reality.

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

* * *

I know I said I was going to add this as a bonus instalment, but when I saw how little text there was, I changed my mind and decided to add it as a bonus interim chapter. ^_^ It was fun playing with Zack. Well, onto the next one!


	19. Part Thirteen: Chapter 17

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Part Thirteen: Key to the Ancients**

**Chapter Seventeen**

They landed the Highwind about a mile away from Junon. They used the natural rocky cliff that the town was built up against to hide the airship from view before approaching the town on foot. There was little doubt that Shinra was probably expecting them to come, but there was no need to announce their presence just yet.

It was no surprise to see that nothing had changed in Lower Junon. Even with Weapon's attack, the people of Lower Junon remained the same. They carried on with their daily lives, despite Shinra's claims that the people were in a state of panic.

It had been quite pleasing to discover that after the failed execution during their last visit, support for their group had soared, while the supporters of Shinra dwindled. In fact, Cait Sith had reported that people talked of Weapon's attack on Junon a direct assault against Shinra by the planet. Shinra employees were beginning to resign left, right and centre, with only the extremely loyal or those too terrified to resign remaining. Even Mayor Domino finally left his office and spoke up against Shinra, encouraging people to rise up against them (in a non-violent manner).

It was beginning to look like the Shinra Company was in a crisis. Still, considering everything that they had done to the people of Corel, Nibelheim, and the people in their own main city, it was hard to find sympathy.

The company's only chance for survival, it seemed, was to win back the support of the public by eradicating Meteor. The Huge Materia was an essential part of that plan.

But Cloud and the others did not care about Shinra's survival. Their plan to destroy Meteor by using the Huge Materia was doomed to fail. Meteor was formed by the ultimate black magic: the Black Materia. Not even the Huge Materia could break that magic. It made more sense to use it to destroy the _source_ of Meteor: Sephiroth.

The next Huge Materia was located in Junon's Underwater Reactor, according to Cait. The reactor, as its name suggested, was built deep on the ocean floor about half a mile out to sea. It was not possible to reach the reactor by boat. The only way the reactor could be reached was to go to Junon's Upper Level and locate an access point that would take them down to the ocean floor.

To reach the Upper Level, however, they first had to make their way past the Shinra soldier who was guarding the lift. The people of Lower Junon paid this soldier very little heed. He did not cause them any trouble, so they simply ignored him.

The soldier must have been very bored, or very tired, for he yawned as Cloud and the others approached. When he saw them he started to reach for his rifle, but then stopped and relaxed his hand. He looked around at the group, his lips set in a firm line. Then he sighed and leaned back against the door of the lift.

"If you want to get on the elevator that badly, give me 10gil!" he declared.

Cloud blinked in surprise. Did he just hear him right? Was the soldier really going to let them use the lift for a measly 10gil? Perhaps this soldier didn't know who they were, or maybe it was a trick…… He dismissed that idea. One look at the soldier's expression and stance said that this was just one very bored soldier. Cloud doubted very much that the soldier even cared about what they planned to do up there.

After thinking about it for a moment, Cloud nodded his head. "Okay, I guess," he said, and paid the soldier the 10gil.

The soldier pocketed the money without comment. He pushed himself away from the door and half-turned, pushing a button on the console. The heavy doors slid open. Turning back to them, the soldier jerked his thumb inside.

"Hurry up and get in!"

The group did as they were told and hurried into the chamber. It was a large lift, but with the eight of them all together, it was a tight fit. Once they were all packed inside, the soldier pressed the button again and the doors slid shut. The platform shuddered and began to rise. Tifa looked at Cloud. He shrugged and shook his head.

The lift rose steadily. After a minute it finally came to a stop and the doors slid open. Cloud and his group stepped out cautiously, their hands staying close to their weapons. There was little doubt that Shinra expected them in Junon and had placed many soldiers around the upper levels to stop them from reaching the reactor.

To their surprise, there were no soldiers lying in wait for them as they came out of the lift. In fact, there didn't seem to be anybody at all in the soldier base. The corridors were empty. The only sound was that of the wind, blowing in from the open door just down the corridor. They were the only ones around.

They went through the open door and stepped out onto the main road. The road was just as quiet as the base, with hardly anyone around. There were no Shinra soldiers at all, not even any civilians in sight. Cloud turned to Cait, hoping for an explanation for this unusual quietness. Cait, however, seemed just as confused. He sat cross-legged on the Mog's head, tapping his crown absently. So this was a surprise even to Cait. For some reason that made Cloud a little anxious, and he unhooked the Buster Sword from his back. It could be that the soldiers were in hiding, waiting for them to lower their guard before attacking. In the corner of his eye he saw Vincent also draw his gun; he seemed to think the same.

The group began to walk down the road. They spread out, with Cloud and Cait taking the front, Tifa and Cid on the town side, Barret and Yuffie on the ocean side, and Vincent and Red XIII acting as rear lookout.

The front part of Upper Junon was still in a mess from Weapon's attack. There were signs of damage on many buildings, but all in all, Junon had managed to get off lightly. It could have been a lot worse.

The Shinra building was the one that received most of the damage; more evidence that the planet was targeting the Shinra Company above all else. There were blast and scratch marks from Weapon's ferocious assault. Cloud allowed his eyes to stray up to look at the building. It looked like a warzone; nearly every glass panel had been smashed. Still, Cloud had to wonder how much of that damage was actually caused by Weapon… and how much was done by angry civilians.

As Cloud looked up at the Shinra building, he suddenly felt that something was very wrong here. Not just the mysterious absence of soldiers on the Upper Level, but the mysterious absence of something else. Something that should be here but wasn't. Cloud couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was definitely missing.

Cloud stopped and turned around, his face creased in bewilderment. Seeing that he had stopped, the others also came to a stop, hands close to their weapons. Cloud tapped his foot and looked back towards the Shinra building. It was like something was missing from the building itself…

"I may be mistaken, but……" he said, feeling awkward. He turned back to his friends. "Doesn't it feel like we're missing something?"

The others stared at him in confusion, and then they looked around. Yes, it did feel like something was missing from the town itself. Perhaps it was because they were nervous—being this close to Shinra—but they couldn't quite figure it out. Cloud sighed and shook his head. It didn't really matter, and they didn't have time to be worrying about that. They had other things to worry about, like the Huge Materia. He turned away from the group and carried on walking.

The others began to follow him, also dismissing the feeling that something was wrong here. The only one who did continue to think about it was Cait. His Mog hopped along slowly, trailing behind Cloud. The cat's brow creased in confusion, and once more he tapped his crown. He looked up at the Shinra building. His gaze looked lower, to the cannon…

The cannon! That was it! It was the cannon that was missing! The cannon had been removed from its place at the front of the Shinra building and taken someplace else. But… where was that? Cait scratched his chin. The only people who would know about this would be Heidegger and Scarlet. He made a note to ask them about it when he got the chance. For now, he had no time to think about it, so he pushed it to the back of his mind and hurried after Cloud.

They made their way along the main road, heading to the other side of town. Cait took the lead after passing the lift, since he was the only one who knew the way to the Underwater Reactor.

He led them towards the Shinra building, insisting that this was the only way to reach the Underwater Reactor. The door led into a long corridor that Barret recalled from when he and Cait were escaping. Cait waited until they were all through before hopping through as well, shutting the door behind him.

There was a squad of Shinra soldiers a short way down the corridor. They were practicing their drills, shuffling their rifles from shoulder to shoulder at the command of their captain, who barked his orders loudly and relentlessly. Their moves were out-of-sync, drained—they had likely been doing these drills for half of the day. A few of them looked up as they saw the companions heading towards them, weapons in hand.

Seeing his soldiers become distracted, the captain took his whistle out of his mouth and turned around, scowling irritably. His eyebrows rose at the sight of the rebels approaching. Then his lip curled into a smile. He knew just the thing to do to deal with this hapless bunch of ill-trained misfits. He put his whistle back in his mouth and gave a short, sharp (and loud!) blow.

"All right!!" Let's see how hard you trained!" he declared. He clicked his fingers and gave another toot on the whistle. "Attention!" The soldiers behind him dutifully came to attention. The captain whistled again. "Charge--!!"

The captain grinned, expecting his soldiers to come marching past in a well-trained, unified squad and bring the rebels swiftly to their knees. He heard the sound marching feet…… moving rapidly away. The captain turned in surprise, and his eyes widened at what he saw. His soldiers _were _marching, but in the opposite direction, away from him and the rebels. They marched swiftly for a few steps before breaking ranks and running down the tunnel.

The squad captain was literally trembling with rage. "He… hey--!!" he called, his voice losing its authoritative tone at the sight of his fleeing squad. "That's the Underwater Reactor!! Come back!!" He ran after his squad.

The fleeing soldiers paid no attention to their angered captain. They'd had enough of taking his orders for one day, and after being drilled hard for more than half of the day, they were not in the mood to take on the rebels. They ran down to a lift at the end of the corridor and charged through, the captain still shouting after them.

Cloud and his friends gave chase, but the lift door slid shut and cut them off from the soldiers. The lift hummed as it started to rise, taking the soldiers back to the upper levels of the Shinra building. Cait squeezed past Cloud and used the Mog's chunky fist to push the button next to the door. There was nothing they could do about the escaped soldiers; it was better if they just hurried on before reinforcements arrived.

They waited for the lift to arrive. While they waited, Red XIII ran back up the corridor and sniffed the air to see if any more soldiers were approaching via the stairs. He caught the faint scent of a soldier on the floor above them, but the scent was fading; the soldier was moving away from them. There were no unusual scents from outside, either. Satisfied, he padded back to the others just as the lift arrived.

There were two soldiers standing inside, their backs to the group as they busied themselves with eyeing up a beautiful young woman who was also using the lift. The woman, who was a lab technician, wore a bored, slightly irritated expression; she was obviously used to this sort of thing. When the doors opened the two soldiers turned and jumped, startled. Then they recovered and reached for their guns.

"How 'bout whoever stays alive," one of the soldiers said to his comrade, "gets to take her out?"

The other soldier looked at the rebels, and smirked. "All right, you're on!!" he said. He looked at the rebels again and his smirk turned into a worried frown. "But… what if both of us…"

"Whoa!!" said the first soldier, looking at the rebels. "Don't even talk about that!"

The two soldiers stepped out of the lift. That was as far as they got, for the moment their feet touched the corridor floor, two gunshots sounded, and the two soldiers fell to the ground. There were large dents in their helmets where the shots had skimmed past, close enough to stun, but not enough to kill them.

Vincent sheathed his gun and stepped over the slumped bodies of the two soldiers. He glanced at the young lab technician. She looked up at him anxiously and held her clipboard close to her chest, relieved for their intervention but anxious as to what they would do next. Vincent walked past her and leaned against the back wall.

The others piled in after him, casting the woman warm glances to assure her they would not do anything to her—so long as she did not interfere with their mission. It was a tight fit inside the lift; they were forced to cram close together so they could all fit inside. Cait left his Mog and climbed onto Cid's shoulder, clinging to his shirt as reached down and pushed another button on the wall. The doors closed and the lift started to descend.

A minute later the lift reached the bottom. Tifa was closest to the door, so she squeezed out first to check the coast was clear. As she stepped out she was greeted with the sound of a dog barking. She turned and saw a large dog standing in an open doorway. The dog's ears were flattened against its head, and it growled angrily at the scent of the intruders. There was a Shinra soldier standing beside the dog. Seeing Tifa, the soldier pulled out a gun and ran forward to block her.

"Okay! Back to work!! Back to work!!" he commanded sharply.

Tifa wondered who he was talking to, but then a second soldier ran up from the door at the other end of the corridor. This soldier must have just woken up from a nap, for his helmet was not clipped on properly, and he yawned loudly as he ran up to join his comrade.

"Yawn… I'm sleepy!!" the soldier complained, clumsily drawing his gun.

"For Junon!!" shouted the first soldier, and he ran forward to challenge Tifa. He lowered his rifle and made a swipe at her with his fist. Quickly she raised her arms to defend herself, and as she did so the soldier raised his gun and rammed the point of the barrel hard into her torso, just beneath her diaphragm. He shoved her up against the wall, and she coughed, breathless, unable to take an inward breath.

When Barret saw Tifa get shoved callously up against the wall, he cursed and tried to force his way out of the lift to help her. Unfortunately they were so tightly packed together that his struggling just made things worse and he couldn't get anywhere.

Only Red XIII managed to squeeze his way out of the lift. He heard Tifa cry out as the soldier dug the barrel point further into her ribs. Quickly Red XIII dived at the soldier and snapped his jaws, closing them around the soldier's leg. The soldier cried out and backed away from Tifa, kicking his leg as he tried to throw the hound off. Red XIII maintained his grip and yanked, tearing muscle. The soldier screamed and clutched at his injured leg, his uniform becoming stained with blood.

His job done, Red XIII released the soldier and turned his back on him. The soldier staggered out of the way, while his comrade could only stare and watch. The hound turned his attention to the guard dog, which was still barking inside the open doorway. Red XIII bared his bloodstained fangs and snarled menacingly at the dog, trying to stare it down. The dog continued to bark at him, but it made no attempt to leave the safety of the doorway.

Tifa had dropped to the floor when the soldier had backed away from her, and had only just got her breath back. She rose to her knees, rubbing her bruised ribs. The second soldier was fully alert now and ran past his staggering comrade, hoping to knock her down again before she could react, and use her as a hostage to prevent the others from attacking. Unfortunately, his plan did not work, for Tifa swung her first in an upward arc, catching the soldier on the jaw. There was a sickening crunch as bone shattered. He, too, dropped his rifle, cradling his broken jaw.

It was at this point that the others finally managed to squeeze their way out of the lift, with Barret, of course, in the lead. The ex-resistance leader growled and raised his gun-arm to finish the soldiers off, but was stopped when Cait placed a gloved paw on his arm. Annoyed, Barret turned to face him. The cat simply shook his head. There was no point in killing the soldiers; their wounds meant they would not be going anywhere. Reluctantly Barret lowered his arm and turned his gaze from them. Cait gave the man a comforting pat on the shoulder, and then led the Mog down the corridor after Cloud and the others.

They made their way through the lower levels of the Shinra building, moving as quickly as they dared, for they did not want to draw the attention of any other soldiers in the complex. They went on until they came to a second lift identical to the one by the Junon entrance. They piled on, and the lift began to descend.

It was a much longer trip down this time as this lift took its riders far below water level, to the ocean floor. The group knew when they went below water level, for the sound of the lift's hum became thick and dull, with no echo from outside. The further they descended the greater the air pressure became, and their ears began to pop. Yuffie fell to her knees, overcome with a sudden wave of nausea. Tifa knelt beside her, rubbing her shoulders gently.

It was a relief when the lift finally came to a stop at the bottom. Cait stepped off the platform first, him being the only one not affected by the change in air pressure. Smirking at the pale, queasy faces of the others, he directed the Mog over to a control panel beside the door. He punched a code into the panel (it was a nightmare to find out, he told them), the doors slid open noisily, and they stepped through.

Their sickness was forgotten the moment they stepped through the door, for the sight that lay on the other side was so astounding that, for a moment, it took their breath away. Even Yuffie forgot about her motion-sickness and stepped out of the lift, her eyes wide in wonder.

They stepped out directly onto the ocean floor, into a long tunnel made entirely of glass. The tunnel stretched out ahead of them, winding along the natural curve of the ocean floor all the way to the Underwater Reactor.

Tifa walked up to the glass wall and placed her palm against it. Though they were quite far down beneath the surface of the ocean, a little sunlight had managed to make its way down and give a little light to the landscape outside, though the tunnel provided more than enough light to see by.

It was truly beautiful out there; more beautiful than she could ever have imagined. The water was wonderfully clear, with a faint blue sheen near the surface, caused by the light that was reflected by the sun. Sea life swam in abundance this far down; more kinds than she had ever known to exist.

Yet, even here, the beauty of the ocean was marred by the presence of the reactor. The ocean floor was dark and grey in patches. There was only a small amount of plant-life down here; the fishes were poking through the sandy floor to find food. The few bits of coral that grew here were faded in colour, and many had broken apart as their life was sucked out of them.

Tifa raised her gaze, and in the distance she thought she saw Mr. Dolphin, Priscilla's seabound friend, swimming through the water away from the reactor. Would the day come when even Mr. Dolphin could not swim here? Not if they could help it.

Cid stepped up beside her and tapped the glass with his spear, breaking Tifa out of her thoughts.

"This thing…" he said hesitantly, "…it is safe, ain't it?"

"Oh, yes." Cait hopped past them, making his way down the glass tunnel. "That glass is about nine inches thick, practically impregnable. Nothing could break through it." He walked on a few steps, and then stopped. He tapped his head thoughtfully. "Well, except for Weapon, maybe," he said. "But what are the chances of that happening?" He carried on without looking back, smirking to himself.

The others watched him go. They glanced out through the glass, each one fancying they could see Weapon swimming in the darkness of the ocean towards the reactor. Yuffie then groaned and keeled over, feeling her sickness return in force.

Cloud tried to push away the seed of anxiety that Cait had surreptitiously planted and turned to the others. "Let's just move on, shall we?" he said, hoping he sounded as confident as he was trying to be.

The others nodded slowly; Barret gulped noisily. They began to walk cautiously down the tunnel, trying to keep their attention focused on the mission at hand. Nevertheless, their eyes could not help but be drawn towards the ocean; to the fleeting shadows that danced between the faint rays of sunlight. Suddenly the ocean seemed a much darker, less beautiful place. Now it just seemed… deadly.

They hurried on to the reactor.

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

I redid the ending to this chapter, hence the re-upload. I didn't like the ending; it bugged me, so I redid it. It's what happens when you rush to get something finished.

Also, I have a funny story. A couple of weeks ago I fainted at work and banged my thigh really hard against my bin. (I was dehydrated, if anyone's interested.) The bruise that came up from that… looked exactly like the FF7 symbol. I HAD METEOR ON MY LEG! Is that fate or what? 8D


	20. Part Thirteen: Chapter 18

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Eighteen**

Navigating their way through the Underwater Reactor was an easy task, thanks to Cait. He was able to guide them through the maze of winding corridors, leading them toward the core of the reactor where the Huge Materia was supposed to be stored.

As well as being an underwater mako reactor, the building also doubled as a submarine dock. After Shinra had realised that there was an almost limitless supply of mako flowing beneath the ocean floor, the President and his executives had decided that they would build more underwater reactors. In aid of that, they had included a submarine dock into the Junon reactor's design, using it as their underwater base of operations. So far, another suitable place had not been found.

They came across their submarines on their way to the reactor core. The path on which they walked came out over the submarine dock, and so they stopped to look at them. There were two submarines in this dock; one grey and one red. The hatch on the red submarine had been left open, waiting for its consignment to be loaded. There were no soldiers about; it seemed the consignment wasn't ready yet.

Up above them there came a loud click, followed by the cringing sound of scraping metal. The group looked up as a giant crane began to move slowly across the ceiling towards a hatch at the far end of the corridor. A door stood open at the end of the walkway so, putting the crane out of their minds for now, they headed towards it.

The door took them into another corridor with a closed door at the far end. It was unlocked, so they pushed it open and went inside.

There were three soldiers in the next room, the first they had seen since entering the reactor, and so they stopped in surprise. The three soldiers were just as surprised, for all they did was stare, at Cloud in particular. The soldier closest to the group raised a trembling finger and pointed at the swordsman.

"You, you're Cloud!!" he said.

Cloud did not reply. He simply closed his fingers around the hilt of the Buster Sword. The soldier caught his meaning and stepped backwards warily. The two soldiers standing behind him, however, had recovered from their initial shock and had drawn their machine guns from their holsters.

"You are NOT getting this Huge Materia!!" one of the soldiers shouted angrily, raising his gun. The barrel loaded with a click, and his comrade did the same. The shaken soldier, after a moment's faltering due to his trembling fingers, drew his own gun.

Cloud started to unhook the Buster Sword, but was stopped when Barret stuck out his arm and brushed past him. "There ain't no room for that sword here," he said simply. Cloud stared at him for a moment, and then shrugged, releasing the sword. Barret grinned and stepped into the room, readying his gun-arm.

The sight of Barret stepping into the room, with his large, muscular frame and powerful machine-gun gun-arm, caused the soldiers' confidence to waver slightly. They shuffled backwards slightly, and their guns lowered by about half an inch. The anxious soldier at the front looked back at his companions, unsure. There was a moment's pause as the soldiers thought things over, before the soldier who had spoken out so defiantly made up his mind and raised his gun again.

Barret opened fire before the soldier could have a chance to. Unlike the others, who had been content to simply injure the soldiers or knock them unconscious, he fired with the intent to make sure they did not get up again. The bullets tore through the soldier's undefended chest, and he crumpled against the far wall.

It wasn't that Barret _wanted_ to kill the soldier. At one time, he would have been more than happy to. He would even have revelled in it. But now was different. They were on a mission, and speed was of the essence. Here, in this cramped, confined room, there was no room to mess around trying to knock the gun from the soldier's hands. The bullets would ricochet; perhaps hit one of his friends. So ensuring that the soldier was no longer able to fire his weapon was the main priority.

At least, that was what he would tell Tifa later. Smirking, he turned to the remaining two soldiers.

The soldier at the back stared at his fallen comrade in horror. Then, with an angry cry, he raised his gun and aimed at Barret. His fingers had barely begun to squeeze the trigger before Barret opened fire once more. This time Barret did not shoot to kill, but fired at the soldier's right shoulder, shattering his collar bone. The soldier cried out in pain and slumped against the wall, clutching at his injured shoulder.

That left just one soldier to deal with. The anxious soldier stood frozen as his comrades were shot down, and now he was staring up at Barret in complete fear. Barret levelled the gun at the soldier's head, and loaded the barrel. The soldier's hands trembled. Then he threw the gun aside and bolted for the far door.

The soldier staggered as something heavy bounced off his helmet and landed in front of him. Skidding to a stop, the soldier looked down at the creature that had blocked his exit. It was Cait Sith. The cat shook his head in disappointment and waved an accusing finger at the soldier, who was backing away slowly.

"Now, let's not be having any of that, laddie," the cat said casually. "You don't want to go something silly and make us angry now, do you? Just be good and step out of the way, all right?"

The soldier must have forgotten about Barret, for he spun around to make a break for the other door. He did not get far. Cait's Mog hopped in front of him as he turned, blocking the path with its wide bulk. The Mog slammed its giant pink fists together, before swinging one at the soldier's head. The resulting smash sent the soldier flying backwards, and Cait Sith ducked as he flew overhead and slammed into the door. The soldier grunted with the impact, and then fell to the floor, limp.

The Mog jumped joyfully at its victory, throwing its fists into the air and waving them about. Cait Sith climbed up the Mog's back to his usual place on its head. After giving it a tap on the forehead to bring it back under his control, he guided it toward the door. The Mog pushed the unconscious soldier aside, dumping him unceremoniously on top of the wounded soldier, who groaned at the sudden, unwelcome weight.

The cat turned back to the door. "I did warn him not to do anything foolish," he said. The Mog pressed its fist against a button on the wall, and the door slid open. Cait stepped through and instantly froze at the sound of a machine gun barrel loading.

There were two more Shinra soldiers in the next room, drawn by the sounds of gunfire. The two soldiers had taken up positions near the door and had their machine guns ready, waiting for the rebels to come through. As the door opened and Cait stepped through, they cocked their weapons and aimed straight for the cat's head.

"So you WERE after the Huge Materia!!" shouted one of the soldiers angrily.

Cait swiftly raised his hands into the air, his whiskers trembling. The Mog copied him, lifting its heavy fists up above its head. The soldier fired a warning shot by the Mog's feet. Startled, the Mog jumped backward, and then hopped from foot to foot in fright. The soldier loaded the gun once again and then aimed, about to finish him off.

There was a flurry of movement as Yuffie darted in from the other room. She zipped past the dancing Mog and leaped at the soldier. Her Razor Ring was ready in her hands, and she swiped at the soldier just as he was about to fire. There was a loud clang as the steel blade collided with the gun frame. The blade dug in and caught on the metal, wrenching the gun out of the soldier's hands.

Yuffie continued on her spin and descended in a downward arc. With another swipe of the ring, she sliced through the side of the soldier's unguarded leg. She must have cut through a tendon, for she heard a loud 'twang', and the soldier's leg crumpled beneath him. Holding his bleeding leg, grunting with the pain, he staggered out of the way.

The other soldier ran to the door and slammed the butt of his gun against the control panel. The door began to slide shut. The Mog hopped quickly backward to avoid being crushed by the door. That done, the soldier turned back to Yuffie, took aim and fired. The ninja quickly dropped and rolled out of the way just as the shower of bullets fell down where she had stood.

Seeing the door begin to close, Cid ran forward and thrust his spear through the doorway. The door caught on the pole and shuddered. It groaned as it tried to continue forward, pressing heavily on the spear, which refused to let it go.

With the door temporarily locked in place, Cid glanced over at Cait. "Cait!" said the pilot. "Open this here door again."

Cait Sith tilted his head, confused. He was still startled by the suddenness by which events had turned. Then his mind cleared and he nodded. "Oh, right." He turned the Mog towards the button by the door, and the Mog pressed its fist against it again.

Nothing happened.

Cait stared at the control panel. The Mog pressed the button again. Still, nothing happened. The door refused to budge. The cat scratched his head thoughtfully. To his side he heard the pilot bark out his name irritably. The cat ignored Cid and leaned over to examine the control panel closely.

He saw the problem almost immediately, and he would have flushed with guilty shame if it had been possible for him to. The button was stuck, jammed in place against the wall. The Mog, overeager after its victory against the previous soldiers, had slammed its fist too hard against the panel and caused the button to jam.

Sitting up on the Mog's head, the cat shook his head regretfully. "I'm afraid…" he began regretfully, knowing the pilot was not going to like his report, "…that… Well, that is to say…… The button is sort of stuck."

On the other side of the door came the sound of heavy machinegun fire, following by the whir of spinning metal. Cid peered through the gap in the doorway made by the spear, trying to spot Yuffie. Both she and the soldier were out of sight, though he could see the bullets flying across the room. He cursed vehemently.

"Well, we gotta do somethin' to help her!" he said. He bit his lip painfully. Then an idea came to him. He looked over his shoulder. "Tifa! You think you could pull this here door back open?"

Tifa cast an expert glance over the door. It was thick and made out of strong metal. A bullet would not be able to pierce it. Cloud's sword could probably slice through it, but that was not an option. She also guessed that despite its show of thickness and strength, the door was completely hollow inside. It would be heavy, but that did not worry her. She had strength of her own.

Coming to a decision, she nodded. "I'll give it a try," she said, and went over to join Cid by the door. After tugging on her leather gloves to make sure they would not slip out of place, she grabbed onto the edge of the door and began to pull.

It was certainly very heavy; heavier than she expected it to be, and at first nothing seemed to happen. Tifa braced her feet and pulled, putting every ounce of her strength into her arms. Beads of sweat formed on her brow, and she grit her teeth. The door began to creak and shudder, as though fighting against her strength. Finally the door began to move, losing its battle with the fighter. It started to slide back away from the wall, groaning in protest. Cid's spear came loose, and the moment the gap was wide enough he squeezed through into the other room.

He spotted Yuffie immediately. The ninja was on the other side of the room, cornered by the wall. She had lost her Razor Ring; the weapon was stuck tight in a crevice close to the ceiling. The soldier stood in front of her, his back to Cid. Seeing his chance, Cid hefted his spear onto his shoulder and threw it across the room.

The spear hit its mark, burying its point deep in the soldier's back. The soldier cried out and staggered, dropping his gun to the floor. His arms flailed behind him as he tried to find what hit him, but while his attention was diverted Yuffie ran forward and kicked him soundly in the head. The soldier tumbled to the floor, the spear still stuck in his back.

Yuffie looked down at the soldier, and when she saw him start to move she delivered another swift kick to his head. The soldier slumped and did not move again.

The first soldier had ducked down while his comrade had been firing, but now that the gunfire had ceased he was trying to make his way slowly towards the other door, still holding his injured leg. Cid retrieved his spear from the back of the unfortunate soldier lying at his feet, and then went over to the staggering soldier and clonked him over the head with it. The soldier dropped without much resistance.

While Yuffie recovered her Razor Ring from its resting place near the ceiling, Cid went over to the door and pushed the button on the control panel like the soldier had. The door slid open, allowing the others to enter the room. There was no time to rest, or to tend to the wounded soldiers. They had to hurry on before more soldiers arrived to slow them down.

Luck must have been on their side. The door leading out of the room took them straight to the core of the Underwater Reactor.

The core was situated in the very centre of the room. It stood apart from the rest of the machines; the machines that sucked the mako up from beneath the planet's crust. Dozens of pipes descended from those machines and into a large pool mako at the very bottom of the room. The mako was so thick and so dense it appeared not as green but as purest white. The temperature of the room fluctuated, sometimes warm and sometimes cool, though no breeze at all blew down here.

Cloud and the others came to a stop on the gridded path and looked up at the reactor core. It was quite different from the other cores they had seen. The others had been so encased in metal plating they were almost impregnable, forcing AVALANCHE to use bombs in order to destroy them.

This core was not nearly so well protected. It seemed that Shinra didn't think that much protection was needed, this far beneath the ocean. It was tall and slender, with a wide opening in the top. Red steam was billowing out from this opening, rising high before spreading out and falling back towards the pool.

The most intriguing thing about the reactor was the immense power that could be felt emanating from it. This was a familiar feeling to the others, who had come across this sensation twice before already, in both North Corel and in Fort Condor. To Cloud, this was a new feeling, but even he knew what it was without being told.

"!? The Huge Materia!" he said in awe.

A loud clanking noise drew their attention further upwards, to the ceiling. The crane that they had seen in the submarine dock was overhead, and had come to a stop just over the reactor core. There was a moment's pause, and then the metal grabber descended, going deep into the reactor core.

"Hey! A Crane Game!" said Yuffie excitedly. The ninja climbed up onto the rails and leaned over, trying to see what was happening through a glass panel in the side of the core. The red mist was thicker inside the core, and she could not see anything.

The hum from the core quietened, and the red mist steadily ceased. Yuffie jumped down off the rail and rejoined the others, who were looking up at the crane. The grabber was rising up, it emerged from inside. Resting in the grabber's metal fingers was a glass case containing the Huge Materia. This Huge Materia was slightly smaller than the other pieces they had collected, with rougher edges, like it had been crudely cut. The case rested precariously in the grabber, jumping with each movement. They all held their breath until the grabber returned to its original position and stopped, still holding the Materia.

"Damn, just missed it!" cursed Barret.

The crane gave a metallic clunk as it began to move again, heading back along the track to the hatch it had come in by. It did not take a genius to figure out what Shinra was planning now. "They're gonna take it on the submarine!" said Tifa.

"If we take a shortcut," said Red XIII, "we might just make it……"

Cloud watched the crane move slowly across the ceiling. There was no way they could jump and grab it out of the crane claw. They would risk dropping it, and the Huge Materia would fall straight into the lake of mako below and lost to them forever. He lowered his gaze to a door at the other end of the path. If the crane was indeed heading to the submarines, then they had to get there in time to intercept it. He began to run for the door, startling the others, who hesitated before following.

The door led right to the submarine docks, just as Cloud hoped it would. The red submarine lay just ahead. It seemed much larger up close than it had on the other path; in fact, its size was a little daunting. To his surprise there were no soldiers about; they were probably already in the submarine.

The only person standing on the docks was Reno. Cloud was not that surprised to see him here. After all their previous failures to secure the Huge Materia, Shinra had given up sending their ordinary soldiers and had finally sent in the Turks to get the job done. Reno had his back to Cloud, his attention fixed elsewhere.

Cloud came to a stop behind Reno. Ignoring him for the moment, Cloud looked up and scanned the ceiling, searching for the crane. "Did we make it!?"

He spotted the crane just overhead, and he felt his heart sink. The crane was just coming to a stop over the open hatch on the red submarine. As he watched, the grabbed lowered and disappeared inside the submarine, taking the Huge Materia with it. A moment later the grabber rose again, minus its cargo. The submarine's hatch creaked shut. It seemed they were just barely in time.

The others ran into the docks. As the door behind them slid shut, Reno turned his head. He sighed in annoyance. "What are you doing?" he said irritably. "Help load." He turned away again. Then he jumped, startled, and turned to face them. His eyes widened in surprise. "Cloud!?" He thought Cloud had been lost in the North Crater!

Cloud did not reply, but simply shrugged his shoulders casually. Tifa looked over at the submarine, noticing the closed hatch. "Looks like we barely made it," she said breathlessly, still worn out from her run.

Barret stepped forward and raised his gun-arm, aiming it at the sub. "We're gonna help transport the Huge Materia… Reno!" he said, flashing the Turk a wicked grin.

Cloud put out his hand, blocking Barret's gun. Reluctantly the ex-resistance leader lowered his arm, though he kept his eyes fixed firmly on the Turk. Cloud turned his attention back to Reno. "Either give it to us or else," he said to the Turk warningly. He narrowed his eyes. "…Which is it gonna be?"

Reno seemed unconcerned by Cloud's vaguely disguised threat. Sighing dramatically, he smirked and flicked back a lock of his red hair. "Unfortunately," he began, with an air of regret that was only partially genuine, "I don't have time to deal with you." The Turk nodded his head to the side.

Cloud and the others turned to where he was looking. There was a large guard robot stationed next to the sub. Yuffie's words about a crane game flashed into their minds, for the robot did look like an oversized, complicated crane game. It was known as the Carry Armour, for its primary use was to lift and transport cargo from the reactor to the docks. In true Shinra fashion, the robot had also been adapted for battle. As they watched, the robot turned and began to walk towards them.

It had two long arms built in an 'M' formation, ending in two pincer-like grabbers that opened and closed as it walked. The arms hung close to the ground but could be lifted high above its 'head' by a giant shaft, allowing it to carry even heavy cargo.

One of the robot's major weaknesses was apparent almost immediately. It plodded forward on three awkwardly built legs set at such an angle that the robot balanced perfectly when stood still, but made it unsteady when it moved. The robot compensated for this by swinging its arms back and forth as it walked, creating a counter balance when each leg was off the floor. It would have been laughable, if it weren't for the metal armour and laser rifle that had been built just above its motor. As Cloud and the others reached for their weapons, Reno's smug smile widened.

"My priority is the Huge Materia!" he said, before ducking under the robot's swinging arm and darting towards the sub.

Cloud started to give chase, but was stopped when the Carry Armour slammed its pincer-like hand down into the ground in front of him. Cloud stepped back and looked up at the robot, which was now blocking their path to the sub. A yellow light built into its face flashed brightly. Its message was clear: they would not get past without a fight.

Reaching behind him, Cloud drew the Buster Sword from its place upon his back and gripped it tightly in his hands. In all honesty, he had been nervous about fighting again. After everything that had happened, with Sephiroth and Shinra, he had wondered, briefly, if he could ever find the courage to hold a sword again. But now that he held the Buster Sword in his hands, felt its familiarity, its strength and the honour of those who wielded it before him, he felt his courage come flooding back.

He was ready.

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

My poor little notebook. It is getting so battered from being shoved in my bag every day. It's been crushed, wet, covered in chocolate, all sorts. But it's still going strong, and will be here to the end. Which is in sight now. _ Yikes.


	21. Part Thirteen: Chapter 19

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Nineteen**

The battle started quickly as the Carry Armour raised its crane-like shoulders above its 'head' and then thrust out its pincer-like grabbers. Despite being so large and clunky it moved surprisingly fast, and the others were forced to jump back out of reach to avoid being skewered by the massive grabbers. All except Cloud, who dodged the grabbers as they slammed into the ground and darted forwards.

With the Buster Sword ready in his hands, the swordsman leaped into the air. He raised the sword above his head and brought it down hard on the Carry Armour's right shoulder. The blade cut deep into the metal, but did not go deep enough to cause any severe damage. The Carry Armour's metal plating was thick and strong, and because the initial attack had forced him to dodge and run, Cloud had not been able to build up enough momentum that would have allowed him to cleave the robot in two.

Standing on the robot's shoulder, Cloud wrenched his blade free. He was about to launch another downward strike when he felt the robot shudder, and its 'head' turned to face him. The laser barrel glowed hotly. Hurriedly Cloud leaped backward, just as the laser fired a single, thin beam of hot energy where he had been standing. The beam carried on and hit the ceiling at the other end of the dock.

Cloud landed behind the Carry Armour. Lowering his blade, he looked up at the ceiling where the beam had hit. A large hole about a metre wide had been burned into the metal, revealing the numerous pipes that were channelling mako and electricity throughout the complex. Cloud dreaded to think what would happen if that laser managed to pierce the reactor's outer wall.

Still, he had other things to worry about. Behind him, the submarine's engines began to hum. Any moment the submarine would submerge into the water, taking Reno and the Huge Materia with it. If that happened, they were… well, sunk. They needed to finish the Carry Armour off or disable it long enough so that he and the others could prevent the submarine from leaving.

He turned his attention back to the battle at hand. The Carry Armour had managed to lift its arms from the floor and was now engaged in a heated battle with the others, who had attacked while its attention was focused on Cloud. He saw smoke and flames rise up from where Barret had launched a fireball from his gun-arm. He heard Vincent firing from someplace out of sight, and saw Tifa zipping in and out of the robot's range, trying to launch devastating blows with her fists whenever she could find an opening.

The Carry Armour swung its shoulders and slammed one of its grabbers into the ground. It connected with so much force that it dented the metal floor. The blow almost crushed Cid, who dodged it by falling back and rolling quickly out of the way. In that moment when the Carry Armour tried to raise its arm and regain its balance, Red XIII darted past and padded over to stand by Cloud.

"What should we do?" he asked breathlessly. There was a bloody graze on the hound's left shoulder where one of the swinging grabbers had sliced him.

Cloud raised the Buster Sword and looked at the robot down the flat side of the blade. The Carry Armour did not seem to notice the two standing behind it. Its attention was fixed on the others, who were attacking from the front, and so it ignored him and the hound completely.

Cloud closed his eyes and placed his hand against the blade of his sword. He focused his will on the Lightning materia that was still equipped into the blade, and the second materia that allowed him to channel the other's energy into the weapon itself. It was a combination he had used ever since this journey had begun, and it had never failed yet. The materia began to glow faintly, and sparks of electrical energy began to crackle around them.

"Keep it occupied."

Red XIII tilted his head, confused. Then, seeing the crackling materia, he nodded in understanding. "I see. A diversion… Very well. Good luck, Cloud." The hound broke into a run and leaped over the robot's arm to rejoin the others.

Cloud stayed where he was, continuing to focus his mind and will on the materia. The glowing light grew brighter and Cloud could feel the energy burn through the Buster Sword's blade, but it was not strong enough yet. The Carry Armour's defences were strong—it would take an enormous amount of power to break through them. So he continued to focus his will, driving every last ounce he could into the materia.

Red XIII must have managed to inform the others of Cloud's plan, for the assault on the Carry Armour swiftly stepped up. The others attacked quickly, striking quick blows and then retreating to let the next person strike from another position, giving it little time to recover and counterattack.

Red XIII darted between its grabbers as it tried to snatch the hound from the ground, while Cid and Cait used their equipped Gravity materia to halt the robot in place (the materia not being strong enough to crush the metal). When the robot's attention was elsewhere Tifa swept in to land a crushing blow to its legs, before darting out again to safety. Vincent and Barret teamed up to fire at the robot's laser head, attempting to disable it before it thought to fire at them again.

The robot swung one of its elongated arms just as Yuffie leaped in to attack. The metal grabber knocked the ninja aside, making her lose her grip on her Razor Ring and sending her spinning through the air. She landed in the water with a loud splash, followed by her weapon, which sank out of sight.

The arm carried on swinging and struck Tifa as she ran in from the left to strike one of its legs while its balance was shifted. It came so fast she did not realise it was heading for her until it smashed into her and knocked her aside. The fighter hit the ground hard and lay winded, clutching her aching torso.

The materia in Cloud's sword glowed brighter, until both balls glowed hot-white. They flashed, and the blade became engulfed in pulsing waves of electric white light. The light that danced across the blade also flickered across Cloud's hand, but the energy could not harm the one who had summoned it. The hair on his arms and neck stood on end, charged by the static energy. Tearing his hand away from the blade, Cloud held the sword ready and charged forward.

The Carry Armour, unaware of the assault that was coming from behind, reached out with its left arm. Tifa, still winded from the blow that had sent her flying, could not do anything as the pincers closed tightly around her torso and lifted her off the ground. The fighter struggled and kicked, but to no avail.

Seeing Tifa caught through the corner of his eye, Cloud quickly thrust his sword high above his head, unleashing the electric energy before it could hit the Carry Armour. The electricity swept of the blade and dispersed into the air.

Cloud carried on moving, and with a swift movement of his arm altered the attack angle of the blade. He had been aiming for the back of the robot's head, but instead struck the joints that connected its left shoulder to its body. The residual lightning-energy left in the blade was enough to break through the metal and tear straight through the joints, dismembering the arm from the rest of the body. That arm fell straight to the ground, taking Tifa with it. Quickly, Barret ran to help her.

Without its left arm to balance it, the three thin poles that supported the Carry Armour's weight were unable to keep it upright. The robot staggered and tottered until the weight of the remaining right arm pulled it sideways. Two of the legs came off the ground and flailed helplessly in the air. The robot continued to tilt over, until its right arm got caught on the ground, acting as a balance and keeping it from falling over completely.

Although it could no longer use its arms to attack, the Carry Armour still had its Lapis Laser. Unfortunately falling off-balance meant it could not aim properly, and when it fired at Cait it missed by a good metre and hit the wall behind him, burning another large hole.

Vincent raised his gun and fired a single, precise shot into the laser barrel. The bullet tore through the laser's mechanics, and smoke began to pour from the inside. Seconds later the laser exploded, and more smoke billowed into the air.

The robot was now defenceless, unable to do anything other than wave its two legs pointlessly in the air. Cloud came to stand behind it. Focusing his will, he called upon the power of the Lightning materia once more. The materia glowed brightly, and electricity swept across the full length of the blade. The lightning hissed and crackled as its bolts flickered across the metal. Cloud raised the sword above his head, and then brought it down on the robot's unguarded head.

The sword cut right through the head. The blade severed the pipes that supplied mako to the laser and to the rest of the body, and light green liquid spilled out and onto the floor. The electricity surged through the robot's interior, and the Carry Armour shuddered as though having a fit. Its right arm slipped and the robot fell to the floor. It shuddered a few seconds more before lying still. It was over.

Cloud sheathed his sword and turned to face the submarine. Or rather, he turned to face the space where the submarine had once been. The red submarine had escaped during the fight, submerging into the water and heading out into the ocean.

Cloud cursed loudly. "Damn! The submarine!? The Huge Materia!"

Tifa, now free of the grabber, came to stand beside him. She had a large red mark on both her arms where the grabber had nipped her, but otherwise she seemed to be unhurt. "We have to go after it!" she said to him.

"But it's already in the water!" pointed out Red XIII.

Cloud looked around, trying to find some way by which they could go after the submarine. He refused to believe that after coming this far they could lose the Huge Materia now. No matter what, they had to catch that sub.

His eyes settled on the second submarine still stationed at the other end of the dock. The sub was guarded by a number of Shinra soldiers, who were standing around and watching them with interest. Cloud signalled to the others, and they nodded back in understanding. They ran towards the sub.

Seeing the rebels heading their way, the soldiers' interest turned to fear. They scattered and hurried towards the sub, hoping to escape before the rebels could reach them. A number of soldiers disappeared down the hatch into the sub itself, while four remained outside to guard the hatch and prevent the rebels from entering. These soldiers stood on the ramp leading up to the sub, their machine guns ready.

"Y, you…!" one of the soldiers managed to sputter.

"You're not taking over this ship!" shouted another soldier. Despite his brave words, the machine gun in his hands shook almost violently. The two soldiers behind him nodded in agreement and raised their sights to their eyes, preparing to fire.

The rebels did not stop or slow down, but continued to charge at the soldiers. Seeing this, the soldiers hesitated and looked briefly at one another. Then they made up their minds and opened fire.

Cloud drew his Buster Sword as the soldiers opened fire. The bullets were poorly aimed, and they bounced harmlessly off the blade. A ball of crystallised ice flew past him and hit one of the soldiers standing on the upper half of the ramp. The soldier was thrust back towards the railing. He grabbed hold of his comrade for support, but only ended up dragging the other soldier with him. Both soldiers fell over the railing, landing in the water with a loud splash.

The two remaining soldiers ceased firing and charged forward to meet the rebels head-on. Cloud spun and slashed his blade in a powerful downward arc, and the first soldier fell instantly. The second soldier could not stop in time and met Cloud's sword on its second arc. The blade ripped the machine gun from his hands and sent it skidding across the ground, with a deep gash cut into the barrel.

Before Cloud could raise his sword for a killing strike, Cait Sith jumped onto his back and then leaped at the soldier. He smashed his megaphone into the helmet's glass visor, breaking it into pieces. The soldier cried out and clutched at his face as blood dripped down his hands from his wounded face. Cait dropped down behind him and hit the back of his knees. The soldier fell to his knees and then onto the floor.

Cait brushed the remains of the glass off his paws. Turning to the soldier, he smirked in satisfaction. He then looked up as the others began running past him and up the ramp that connected to the submarine. The cat started to call out in protest when the Mog scooped him up with one large fist and then hopped after the others, leaving the wounded and floundering soldiers to their misery.

The sub's hatch was left open, forgotten by the soldiers in their hurry to escape. Cloud was the first to reach the hatch and knelt beside it, peering inside. He caught a glimpse of movement in the corridor below, as well as the sound of hushed whispers.

Cloud looked up at Barret, kneeling across from him and also looking down into the sub. The former resistance leader nodded. Cloud returned the nod and flexed his wrist, readjusting the sword hilt. He took a breath and then dropped down through the hatch.

He landed in the corridor between the main control room and the engine room. Three soldiers were stood waiting here, as Cloud had suspected. As he dropped into the corridor the lead soldier drew a baton from his side and swung it at him. Cloud swiftly raised the Buster Sword and blocked the blow with the flat side of his blade. The two stood together, locked in an impasse.

The soldier pushed his baton against the blade. "You want the sub?" he said through gritted teeth. "Just try an' take it!"

Cloud frowned. Seeing the dark look on the swordsman's face, one of the other two soldiers turned to their commander. "Um… sir!" he said cautiously, keeping his eyes on Cloud. "Maybe we shouldn't piss them off…"

The commander didn't listen and continued to push his baton against the sword. He shuffled forward, trying to force Cloud off-balance and give him the opportunity to strike. Behind the visor, Cloud could see the soldier sneering at him. Scowling back, Cloud pushed back, fighting to keep his balance. It was difficult, for the corridor was tight and cramped, and the floor beneath him vibrated with the roar of the engine, making him feel nauseous.

Behind him came a loud thud as Barret finally dropped down into the corridor to lend a hand. The sudden impact of his bulk made the floor shake, and the two soldiers stepped back in alarm. Then they recovered, drew their batons, and charged at him.

Barret ran to meet them. He drew back both of his great arms and then thrust them out. He slammed his fist hard into the gut of one oncoming soldier and his gun-arm just as hard into the gut of the other.

The two soldiers choked at the impact, and the sound of cracking could be heard as more than one rib was broken by the crushing blow. Barret kept on pushing and hurled the two soldiers away from him. They flew back and smashed into the far wall on either side of the door leading to the control room. They sagged onto the floor. Only one of them tried to get up, but instantly passed out from the pain.

The commander turned his head and stared in open-mouthed astonishment. Cloud took advantage of the distraction to pull back his sword, and the soldier keeled forward. Before he could recover, Cloud brought up his knee and caught the soldier firmly beneath his diaphragm. The commander coughed and dropped his baton. He staggered backwards and walked right into Barret, who gave him a quick blow to the back of his head. The commander fell to the floor.

Cloud twirled the Buster Sword behind him and sheathed it. While Barret dragged the unconscious soldiers to the middle of the corridor, Cloud went back to the hatch and signalled up at Vincent to say it was safe for them to come down.

Barret finished dragging the last soldier and dumped him brusquely on top of his comrades. The commander, at the bottom of the pile, groaned beneath the weight. Leaning over, Barret gave him another bash on the head—more gentle this time—and the commander fell silent once again.

"Come on, Cloud!" said Barret, standing upright. "Follow me!" He turned his back on Cloud and the soldiers and stomped off towards the control room. Abruptly he stopped and scratched his chin, remembering something. "Damn man!! ……What the…?" Behind him Cloud rested his hand on his hip and waited for him to continue.

Barret scratched his chin a moment longer and then turned to face Cloud, a large grin on his face. "Hey yo! Remember I was the leader first, man! Yo! We come a long ways since we got on that train! Lotsa things changed! This and that." Turning away, he stomped off towards the control room.

Cloud watched him go, confused, wondering what had brought that on. He felt a light tap on his arm and turned to Tifa, who was standing beside him. She smiled and gave him a wink. Cloud smiled and shrugged, shaking his head. Let Barret have his moment of reminiscence if he wanted to. But Barret was right about one thing: things had definitely changed since the day they met. Stepping over the soldiers, Cloud and the others followed Barret into the control room.

There were yet another three soldiers waiting for them in the control room. One of them Cloud recognised as the officer from when they had first arrived in Junon, and he posed as a Shinra soldier in order to sneak onboard the boat to Costa del Sol. Though he could not see their faces, Cloud guessed that the soldiers standing with the officer were the same ones he had trained with for Rufus's inauguration parade.

The Shinra officer's eyes widened as he saw the rebels and the weapons they carried with them. "NO, NO!! This is terrible!" he cried, and ran back to his comrades.

"We don't have much time left!" said one of the soldiers. His trembling hands squeezed the butt of his rifle tightly. "I don't want to die!"

The other soldier did the same. "There's still so much I want to do! I never even got to do my special victory dance in battle!"

"All right!!" said the officer. "Then make this your first victory!! Go on, show 'em!!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Remember your last training. Begin!!"

"Yes, sir!" The two soldiers raised their rifles and twirled them over their heads.

The officer, encouraged by the new confidence he had inspired in his subordinates, turned back to Cloud and the others. "I'm back!" he announced. "An' now I got no regrets!!" Lifting his training whistle to his lips, he blew on it sharply. "ATT----ACK!!"

"Hmmmm……" Cloud crossed his arms. Though the order to attack had been given, and though the three soldiers appeared to be awash in new confidence, none of them actually moved. They just stood there, waiting for Cloud and the rest to attack.

Cloud looked back over his shoulder to judge the state of his friends. They had been forced to fight many battles to reach this point, and were beginning to tire. They could probably handle these three soldiers, but it seemed foolish to fight them unnecessarily, especially when the enemy themselves didn't have the heart for it. He released his grip on the sword hilt and looked back at Vincent.

"Capture them," he said.

The gunman nodded and walked forward silently, loading three bullets into the barrel of his gun before pointing it at the soldiers. Barret looked like he was about to protest, but was silenced by a dark look from Cloud.

Seeing the gun barrel pointing their way, the three soldiers quickly lost any and all of the confidence they had managed to muster for the fight. The two soldiers at the rear lowered their guns and followed their commander to the side of the control room, out of the way of Cloud and the others. Vincent stood nearby, keeping guard.

Cloud walked to the centre of the control room. Suddenly he stopped and looked around at the walls and consoles, the beeping lights and scrolling screens. His throat became dry and tight. When he tried to swallow it was almost painful. He turned away from the console and back to the others. They watched, confused, as the swordsman began to dance from foot to foot.

"Someone… please," said Cloud, his face paling. "I'm sorry, I can't take it anymore. The lack of space, the shaking, the roar of the engine…" There came a loud hum from the engine room, and the sub floor vibrated once again. The movement sent shockwaves of nausea right up to Cloud's stomach. His face went sheet white and he dropped to his knees. He was not the only one. Yuffie was also suffering from the unsettling motion, hopping on the spot with her hands clamped over her mouth.

Barret glared down at Cloud angrily. "Stop your blubberin'!!" he snapped without sympathy. "How we gonna move this without you?"

"What are we going to do…" said Tifa. "We stole a submarine and can't pilot it." She would not admit it to anyone else, but she was slightly relieved to see Cloud like he was. This was more like the Cloud she remembered.

Cid pushed his way past Cloud and Barret and walked right up to the control panel. Leaning over, he examined it closely. The controls were, naturally, very different to those he was used to seeing in his old airplane, the Tiny Bronco, or those found in the rusted old Shinra No. 26. Still, he mused, it wasn't completely indecipherable.

"Hunka junk…!" the pilot muttered disdainfully. "Just gotta do this!" He punched a button on the control panel, and the submarine sprang into life. The whole sub shuddered, and there was a deep roar from below as the engines powered up and began to move the sub slowly away from the dock. A red light flashed in the control room. Satisfied, Cid turned to Cloud. "SEE! Now you take over!"

Startled by the unwelcome motion, Yuffie clutched at her stomach and keeled over. "HEY---! It's movin'!" The sub jolted as it scraped past the edge of the dock. The ninja jumped in fright and turned slowly in a circle, trying to stay the waves of nausea that threatened to overcome her. "Man, this sucks!! Cloud, do something!"

Cloud opened his eyes. Steadily, he rose to his feet. "Hey, you're right…" he said. "I DO feel a little better driving." He nodded his head, and clenched his fist. "No sweat. Just leave everything to me."

Tifa clapped her hands. "You can do it, Cloud!"

Cloud climbed into the pilot's seat. The seat was made of leather and was well-worn; he almost sank into it. Shifting to the edge of the seat, he pulled on the seatbelt and clipped himself in. He then scanned the console before him. "Well, now what?"

Laid out on the console were numerous dials and buttons, switches, and screens that rolled with information that was almost impossible to understand. Directly in front of him was a steering wheel, obviously used to manoeuvre the sub through the water. To his left were knobs used to control the internal tanks that took in and discharged saltwater, controlling the sub's ability to dive or ascend.

By those was a gearstick with a red button inlaid at the top. Beside it were three buttons, labelled 'LOAD', 'CANCEL' and 'ERROR'. The purpose of this gearstick was clear: it controlled the sub's military arsenal.

"Everything seems set…" said Cloud to himself.

His attention was then drawn to a single button close to the steering wheel, labelled 'ONSCREEN DISPLAY'.

"This switch…?" asked Cloud to himself, pushing the button. It beeped and a computerised voice spoke from the console.

"MAIN SCREEN: ON."

The display screen went dark. It then lit up again, but instead of showing data it showed the view outside of the sub. He could see the dock as the sub moved steadily away from it, heading out into the water. The soldiers they had fought there were gathered on the edge of the walkways, watching silently. One shook his rifle angrily.

Cloud took hold of the steering wheel and manoeuvred the sub away from the dock. It swerved right, and he could see the crackling remains of the Carry Armour still lying on the pathway.

Once clear of the dock, Cloud pulled on one of the knobs that operated the internal tanks. The external grids in the side of the sub opened up, allowing saltwater to flood the tanks. The submarine began to slowly submerge beneath the water. They watched as the water level rose around them, filling the display screen. The moment the sub was underwater the depth sensors activated and the camera changed to a mode more suited to underwater viewing.

When completely submerged in the water, Cloud turned the submarine around and began to search for the hatch that would lead the sub out into the ocean. He found it quickly enough—it was still open from when the red sub had escaped during their battle with the Carry Armour.

Cloud headed for that hatch. It was now a case of finding the escaped red submarine and reclaiming the Huge Materia.

And, as Cait had so helpfully reminded them early, hope they didn't run into Weapon in the process.

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

_Sorry for the lack of updates the past couple of weeks. I was on leave from work and decided to have a break from writing in the process. That and I had difficulty coming up with a strategy for defeating the Carry Armour._

_I also had to do a bit of research with the latter end of this chapter. I know nothing about submarines, so I had to use my researching skills to find out the basics so I can make a rough estimate of how a Shinra sub might operate. XD I even had one of my friends ask her dad, who's worked on submarines, to give me a basic lesson on how sonar works (you'll see why in the next chapter)._

_He even offered me the chance to go on a ten-day perisher's course—the kind they use to train potential captains of nuclear submarines._

……_I respectfully declined. Research is one thing, but that's too much. XD_


	22. Part Thirteen: Chapter 20

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty**

Controlling the submarine was not as difficult as it first seemed. They got off to a shaky start as Cloud got used to the controls, manoeuvring the submarine towards the hatch. Once they were out of the dock and into the ocean travel became much easier, and they headed on their way.

The water was quite smooth this far down, with little disturbance from the tide above. The mako-powered engines propelled the submarine through the water at a steady speed and it wasn't long before they left the Underwater Reactor behind. Once they were sure that they were not going to be followed, they began their search for the red sub.

Tifa went to the control column at Cloud's left side and sat down. Laid out before her were the controls for operating the sonar. She examined them closely. The sonar was already active, set currently at a mere 20 KHz for a quick scan of the immediate area around the sub. The sonar blipped as it picked up a few small fish swimming a small distance above the sub. The data came up on the screen beside her, showing the species' name, how far it was from the sub, and if it posed a threat.

Cid stood behind her and watched as Tifa looked over the controls, trying to figure out how to adjust the sonar's settings to scan a wider area. Though he was an airplane pilot, Cid had at least some idea of how the sub worked. The controls were not that dissimilar from those of a plane, albeit one a little more advanced than his beloved Tiny Bronco. Still, they were not as advanced on those of the Highwind, and he already knew those controls inside and out. Reaching over Tifa's shoulder, he turned one of the dials and adjusted the sonar settings from 20 KHz to 50 KHz.

The sonar blipped again. Cid and Tifa leaned forward to see what it had picked up. They were disappointed; all it had picked up was more fish.

Then… there it was. The red sub suddenly appeared: a large, white blip on the sonar. Cid and Tifa leaned forward again and looked at the readout. There was no doubt about it: it was the enemy submarine. There was the name, model number, its port of origin… even a list of its commanding officers.

Until then the sub had been invisible to the sonar. It had been hidden behind a rising column of rock jutting up out of the ocean floor, caused by the plates that moved deep below the crust of the planet. The sub was only detectable now because it had come out from behind the column and was moving slowly across the seabed. It appeared to be going west, and was heading into a valley of similar rocky rises.

"Got it," said Tifa, analyzing the figures. "It's right ahead, about a quarter of a mile away. If you keep on this course, you should see it before it heads into the valley."

Cloud nodded silently and moved the ship in the direction of the valley.

It wasn't long before the sub came into view. Cloud spotted it as it drifted across the ocean floor, using the shadows created by the rising rock as camouflage. It became visible only when it came out of the shadow and into the faded sunlight. He watched as the sub turned and headed deeper into the valley.

Cloud also moved their submarine into the valley. It was a tight fit in some places, for the rugged columns of rock were cramped tightly together. Many looked like they had been blown apart, for chunks of rock had been broken off in places, gathering on the seabed as piles of rubble.

Looking at them, Cloud couldn't help but wonder what caused them. Mines, maybe? He wouldn't have put it past Shinra to litter the seabed with mines, blowing up the ocean floor in their search for an area abundant in mako. There was another option, which he didn't want to consider, and that was Weapon.

As the shadows of the columns fell over the sub, Cloud looked over his shoulder and gestured to the console to his right. Vincent nodded and calmly went over to it, leaving the guarding of the three Shinra soldiers to Barret. The soldiers eyed the big man and his metallic arm warily, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

The right-hand console monitored the sub's weaponry, as well as the status of the engines. It was possible to control the weapons from Cloud's console, but with the swordsman too busy trying to keep the submarine from crashing into the rising walls of rock, it was necessary for someone else to handle the weapons.

Vincent took a moment to look over the controls. He was able to figure out which buttons loaded the torpedoes into the loading bay, and which ones fired them. The gunman then began to fiddle with the dials, targeting the red sub.

"Ready," he said gruffly.

Cait Sith stood behind Cloud and looked up at the screen nervously. "Be careful, Cloud," the cat said with a tremor in his voice. "They know that we're here; watch out for their torpedoes."

"I know that," said Cloud shortly, too busy concentrating on manoeuvring the sub between the rising columns. It was difficult; the columns were so tightly crammed together that they risked scraping the sub against the rocky walls and damaging the exterior. When they were going through this cramped space, it was difficult to get a clean shot at the other sub. Without a clear shot they risked hitting the columns and burying the sub and the Huge Materia forever at the bottom of the ocean.

The red sub was also having difficulty moving through the rocky landscape. It had slowed down greatly and was moving at a steady pace across the seabed. It was headed towards another of the rising columns, hoping to use its shadow to hide itself from their sight. Cloud followed, keeping the sub at a safe distance above them.

The Shinra sub went around the rocky pillar and out of sight. Tifa leaned over the sonar. As long as the sub was behind the pillar it was invisible to the sonar, but she kept her attention fixed on every blip, ready to detect it the moment it reappeared. She waited as Cloud moved the sub in the same direction, towards the rocky pillar.

Suddenly there was a blip on the sonar. Before Tifa could even raise her head to call out a warning, the Shinra sub reappeared from where it had disappeared behind the pillar and fired a torpedo at them.

Acting quickly, Cloud punched the controls and forced the submarine into a steep dive. The nose dipped rapidly as the sub began to descend. All those without seats tumbled forward, and clutched at the nearest available handhold to keep from falling onto the floor. Yuffie swore obscenities under her breath and clutched at her queasy stomach, vowing never to ride in another boat as long as she lived.

The submarine dived just in time. The torpedo whizzed by overhead and struck the column of rock behind them. The resulting explosion was so loud it could be heard and felt inside the sub. The submarine shook violently, thrown by the shockwaves caused by the blast.

The loose rock fell over the sub and hammered into the hull. The noise was loud and deafening, resounding throughout the sub. More than one person in the bridge looked up in alarm, fearful of the sub's hull being damaged by the falling rock. Many small chunks of rock fell onto the display screen and stuck there, making it difficult to see anything that was ahead.

Cloud did not hang around to see if any larger chunks of rock would fall onto the sub. He punched the accelerator and the sub ploughed forward.

When the rocky pillar had been destroyed, a few chunks of rock had crashed into the bow of the sub. They hit the electromagnetic transducers that emitted the sonar's audio frequency, temporarily knocking it out. It finally came back online as the ship surged forward, and as soon as it did Tifa spun around in her chair and shouted out to Cloud: "Quick! Turn to the left!"

Cloud did not wait to ask questions and immediately pulled the submarine into a tight left turn. Once again everyone without a seat was thrown to the floor as the sub swerved sideways, and Yuffie swore fervently. The sudden movement dislodged the rocks that were blocking the display screen, allowing them to see what had caused Tifa to give the order to turn: another rocky column directly ahead.

The sub swerved out of the way of the column just in time. It passed by so close that the screen was filled with nothing but rock. Once clear, Cloud pulled the controls back to the right, and the submarine groaned in protest as it turned to the right, bring them around the opposite side of the column.

He had no sooner done this when Tifa cried out again: "Look out ahead!"

Another torpedo was heading towards them. The Shinra sub had anticipated their actions and had moved into position on the other side of the pillar, waiting for them to appear. As soon as their sub came into view they fired, catching them off-guard.

Learning from his mistake last time, Cloud pulled the submarine into a rise. The submarine rose up, and though the torpedo swerved up to reach them, it was not agile enough to keep up with them. The torpedo scraped past the pillar and exploded, breaking the column into pieces. The shockwave shook the submarine and propelled it forward at speed, whizzing over the pillars and over the Shinra sub.

Cloud used this sudden burst of speed to his advantage. He waited until their sub sailed over that of the enemy's and then pulled on the wheel with all his strength. The engines gave a strained roar as they struggled to bring the submarine into a turn at such a speed. They fought back against the wheel, but Cloud held firm, forcing the sub to turn in a 180 degree angle so that it was now facing the Shinra sub—and in firing range.

The Shinra submarine seemed at a loss for what to do. Once they fired their torpedo they had immediately put their engines into reverse, planning to slink back into the shadows and prepare for another surprise assault.

So it came as a complete surprise when the rebels had used the shockwave caused by the blast to propel their own submarine forward, whooshing overhead and then swerving into an attacking position at their rear. The rebels could just picture the Shinra crew inside the vessel: running around in a panic, with the commander barking orders on deaf ears. The submarine slowed to a stop.

Cloud's head snapped round. "Fire!" he ordered Vincent sharply.

Vincent nodded and calmly flicked the switch that armed the torpedoes. He had already readied a torpedo in the loading bay in preparation for a quick assault. At Cloud's command Vincent brought the enemy sub into his sights and fired.

The torpedo was unleashed and zipped through the water towards the Shinra vessel. The other sub thrust its engines into forward gear and began to move forward just as the torpedo struck.

Vincent's aim was perfect. The torpedo ripped through the Shinra sub's armoured exterior and blew right through its primary engines. A stream of bubbles and watery flame erupted around the submarine, shielding it from view. The flames were quickly put out by the water, but the bubbles rose thick and fast as the air inside the enemy sub escaped. Inside the rebel sub Cloud and the others watched nervously.

The Shinra submarine then emerged from the shroud of bubbles. Using its secondary engines it left the maze of rocky columns and headed upward as fast as it could go. The damage caused by the torpedo was clearly visible. There was a large hole in the rear of the submarine where the torpedo had hit, and the area around it was charred black. Air was still escaping, and now the submarine was racing towards the surface.

Cloud pulled on the controls and brought the submarine around. He followed the Shinra sub as it sped towards the ocean surface. With its main engine out of commission the enemy vessel was considerably slower. Cloud very much doubted it would even reach the surface before the water seeping inside it became too much and dragged it back down to the seabed.

Just to make sure that did not happen, Vincent fired a second torpedo at the fleeing sub. The torpedo hit its mark perfectly, and the submarine's secondary engines exploded. More bubbles rose thick and fast from the point of impact. The submarine faltered and came to a stop, unmoving in the water.

A number of pods began to fire out from the sides of the sub. Realising that their vessel was doomed and their mission failed, the crew had decided to evacuate. For a moment Cloud wondered if he should order Vincent to take out the pods and prevent the crew from returning to Shinra, but he decided against it. They had abandoned their vessel; there was no point in killing them unnecessarily.

As the last of the pods left the submarine and raced off through the waters away from them, the abandoned submarine finally lost the last of its power and began to sink back down towards the ocean floor. It left a column of bubbles in its way as the last of the precious air escaped.

It was unlikely that anyone onboard the sub had had the presence of mind to collect the Huge Materia before running to the escape pods. Cloud doubted even Reno, whose mission was to collect the Huge Materia, would have done so. He knew enough about the Turk to know that, although dedicated to completing his assigned mission, he would have willingly given up the Huge Materia once the situation became impossible. Reno would have seen no sense in staying onboard and risking his life just to fetch the Huge Materia. Let the rebels have it, or let it sink to a watery grave. It would all be the same to Reno, and he would live to fight another day.

Cloud let go of the steering wheel and leaned back in his chair. His fingers ached as he uncurled them from clutching the wheel. "Phew--!" he said, sighing with relief. "We did it!!" Flexing his fingers to reduce the tension, he turned to the others. "The Huge Materia should be at the bottom of the sea by now. Let's continue the search…"

He turned back to the console. Just as he was about to lower the sub back towards the seabed the intercom crackled and a voice spoke.

_"…All Shinra Submarine units, do you read…? …All Shinra Submarine Units, do you read…?"_

Cloud stared at the console. "Hmm…? …Must be from Shinra," he said.

_"…Report, No. 2…"_

Tifa turned around in her chair. "No. 2…" she whispered. "I saw that written at the dock! They must mean this sub."

Probably trying to see if we have taken over one of their subs, Cloud thought. "All right, I'll do it," he said.

Everyone, including the three captured Shinra soldiers, fell silent as Cloud opened the communications channel.

"This is Shinra No. 2… Everything's normal."

There was a length pause, and everyone inside the submarine felt their hearts dance wildly within their chests. The tension of waiting for a response amplified every sound: the beeping of the consoles, the low creaking of the sub, and the faint roar of the engines, making them seem twice as loud as before. Did they recognise Cloud's voice? If they did, Shinra would not hesitate to sending a whole fleet of submarines to bring them down.

Their attention was so fixed on the silence that when the response finally came they almost jumped out of their skins.

_"…Roger… …Your next mission is… …Return to Junon Dock… …We will transport the Huge Materia from the airport… …Those without other assignments will report for guard duty… That is all. Over and out…"_

Cloud closed the communications channel. Around him, the others sighed in relief. It seemed that their infiltration of the Underwater Reactor and theft of the sub hadn't been discovered yet, despite the ruckus they had made.

This worked to their advantage. The person on the intercom had said that the Huge Materia was being transported from Junon Airport. That meant that the Huge Materia now in Junon was the one they had collected from the Nibelheim Reactor.

"Junon Airport…" said Cloud thoughtfully. "We should make it if we hurry."

Though he hated the idea of leaving the Huge Materia they had worked so hard to obtain at the bottom of the ocean, it was a risk they were going to have to take. It was possible that the Shinra Company wouldn't even try to retrieve it, and they could go back and collect it later when things quietened down.

Making up his mind, Cloud looked back at the others. "Forget about the Huge Materia for now," he said. "We're climbing!"

He pulled on the lever that ejected the water from the tanks. There was a deep groan as the water was pushed out of the tanks and replaced by air. The submarine creaked as it became lighter and began to head back towards the surface (helped by the engines). As they rose higher, everyone groaned as their ears popped.

Yuffie clamped her hands firmly over her ears and hopped miserably from foot to foot. "Climbing… arrrgh… my ears…!" she cried shrilly. She hopped in a circle and stamped her feet on the floor. "LET ME OUT--- I HATE THIS---"

* * *

As soon as they reached the surface, Cloud directed the submarine to a small alcove close to the lower part of Junon. It was a suitable hiding place: it was private, close to the town, and practically invisible to the upper levels. They could hide the sub from Shinra and return at a later time when everything else was finished.

The three captive soldiers were released once the sub was safely docked. They were warned—once, calmly, by Cloud and once, not so calmly, by Barret—that if they returned to warn Shinra or reclaim the sub, then they would not be so lenient if they ever caught up with them. The soldiers took these threats to heart and immediately fled into the Condor Plains.

Once that was done Cloud and the others hurried into town. They did not waste time bargaining with the soldier guarding the lift. Instead they just shoved him aside and forced their way in. They stood about anxiously as the lift made its way slowly up to the upper levels. They counted the seconds until the lift finally stopped and they piled out, not stopping as they ran to the airport.

They were too late. The airship _Gelnika_—one of Shinra's military transport units—was already beginning to turn down the runway. Its wingtips lowered and clicked into place, while its propellers gained in speed until the blades were nothing more than a blur. The airship then rolled forward towards the end of the runway.

There was a moment when everybody held their breath as the _Gelnika_ rode off the edge of the runway and dripped low out of sight. Then the wings caught the wind and the ship rose back up into the air. Cloud and the others watched powerlessly as the airship headed away from the airport and out into the setting sun.

Cloud stepped forward away from the others, watching as the airship flew away into the reddening clouds. "Oh no! The Huge Materia…" he said in dismay.

"Let's go after it!" Barret shouted.

"Where's that thing headed?" asked Cid.

Cloud turned to look at him, amazed that Cid had not worked that out yet. Shinra planned to use the Huge Materia to destroy Meteor before it could hit the planet. There was only one place in the world where Shinra could possibly go in order to launch such an assault on an entity that was not on the planet.

"Rocket Town, of course," he said.


	23. Part Thirteen: Chapter 21

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Shinra were already hard at work preparing the Shinra No. 26 for launch by the time Cloud and his friends arrived in Rocket Town the following morning. Their mechanics could be seen crawling all over the old rocket, polishing the rusty metal, performing the necessary checks, and clearing the launch area of any useless debris.

Despite being unused for a number of years, the Shinra No. 26 space rocket was still in very good shape. Cid's careful maintenance, which he had done every single day since the failed launch all those years ago, had ensured that the rocket was still operable and ready to launch at a moment's notice. Although the space program had been abandoned long ago, Shinra had clearly never forgotten about its old rocket.

The townspeople had left their homes and gathered in the centre of town. They watched as Shinra prepared the rocket, their faces showing expressions of both awe and unease. The old folk stood together and shook their heads, muttering about the foolishness of youth. The men watched with disapproval as the Shinra soldiers patrolling the foot of the rocket began to move the scaffold and various other items that were gathered at the foot of the rocket and throw them into the bushes. The children, eager to see what was going on, strained against their parents' hands.

Cloud and his friends stopped at the back of the crowd and looked up at the rocket. It seemed that the Shinra were done with their preparations and were beginning to withdraw. The mechanics were now dismantling their equipment and climbing down the rocket, which meant that it was almost time to launch. Hurriedly they began to make their way through the throng of people, trying to reach the rocket.

"What's young President Rufus doing by gathering all those mechanics together?" they heard one man mutter as they squeezed past.

"The Shinra serious 'bout launching that piece of crap rocket?" another man voiced, not too quietly. "But why now…?"

Cid felt his face burn hotly, angered by the man's words. The Shinra No. 26 was his pride and joy (next to the Tiny Bronco). True, the rocket had never made it off the ground, but that wasn't the rocket's fault! It was Shera's fault. It was Shera who had shattered his dreams and left the rocket as a broken down wreck.

Still, the rocket was a symbol of his dreams, no matter how unattainable they were now. Nobody had the right to label it a 'piece of crap'!

The pilot was just about to turn around and say this to the man who had spoken out, but Vincent quickly grabbed him on the shoulder and dragged him forward. There would be a time and place to argue about the worth of the Shinra No. 26 in the eyes of its townspeople, but this was certainly not it.

They finally reached the front of the crowd. There were no guards or barriers to stop them from going through; presumably Shinra thought the townspeople wouldn't be any trouble. So Cloud and the others walked straight on through, ignoring the loud murmurs of the townspeople behind them.

There was a small group of soldiers gathered near the foot of the rocket aiding with the dismantling of the equipment. One of them looked over and dropped a pole as he spotted Cloud and his friends running towards them.

"Those terrorists are here!" he shouted.

The other soldiers dropped what they were doing and rushed for their machineguns. The first soldier suddenly dropped to his knees and clutched at his thigh as Vincent fired a shot before he could reach his weapon. The gunman tried to fire a second shot at the second soldier, but the soldier quickly ducked and rolled out of the way. Snatching up his machinegun, he turned and took aim.

Yuffie was on him in a flash, bolting past Vincent to meet the soldier head on. The ninja had lost her Razor Ring during the battle with the Carry Armour, but the resourceful members of the Highwind's crew had already managed to obtain a replacement for her: the Crystal Cross; bought from the weapon shop in Mideel before the town sank into the Lifestream.

The ninja gripped one of the Crystal Cross's blades and slashed across the helmet of the soldier. The crystalline blades flashed brightly in the morning sunlight, almost blinding her. The tip of one blade cut straight through the soldier's helmet as though it were nothing but plastic. The soldier cried out in pain but did not let go of his gun, and after a moment's fumbling he raised it to fire blindly. Yuffie grabbed the gun and wrenched it out of his fumbling hands. She then kicked him swiftly in the head and threw the gun into the bushes.

The third and final soldier raised his machinegun and fired at Tifa. Cloud dashed in front of her and blocked the bullets with his blade, which ricocheted harmlessly off. When the soldier paused to reload Red XIII pounced on him. The hound clamped his jaws around the soldier's shoulder and twisted. The soldier cried out and fell backward beneath the hound's weight. Red XIII continued to bite and snap until the soldier finally stopped moving.

The soldier with the wounded leg clambered to his feet. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a hand grenade. He was about to pull the pin when Cait Sith, charging forward on his Mog, leaped off and snatched the grenade out of the soldier's hands.

The soldier stared at his empty hand. A heavy weight suddenly struck him squarely in the jaw, and with a sickening crunch he tumbled backwards. He lay still on the grass, his jaw broken. Barret stood over the fallen soldier, flexing his good hand. Without waiting to clean up the mess they had made, they hurried on.

Five more soldiers were standing on top of a set of steps connected to the scaffold. Drawn by the sounds of battle, they had come down to see what was going on. They saw the rebels easily dispatch the other soldiers and saw them run their way. Four of the soldiers, including the commanding officer, moved into formation at the top of the steps to intercept the rebels. The last soldier, overcome by fright, seemed more intent on sneaking back up the ladder and escaping into the rocket.

The officer in charge stood amongst his comrades and pointed down at the rebels, who gathered at the bottom of the steps. "Don't let them get any further!" he ordered the soldiers. "Everyone, ATTACK---!"

The two soldiers in front unsheathed their machineguns and charged forward. Tifa ran up the steps to meet them. Reaching out, she grabbed hold of both soldiers by their heads and brought them together with a loud clank, the helmets being crushed beneath the force. Tifa released the two soldiers, who fell straight to the floor.

Cloud and the others watched in wide-eyed fascination as the young fighter picked up the two soldiers one at a time, lifted them high up over her head, and threw them over the side of the steps. They landed with a heavy thud on the muddy ground.

The Shinra commander stared—in wide-eyed horror—as Tifa wiped her hands and then turned her attention towards him and his two comrades. She stood ready, her fists raised and jaw set, silently daring the soldiers to come for her.

"Urrrgh, you're not going anywhere!" shouted the commander angrily, shaking his fist at her. "Uh, un, nowhere!" he corrected himself quickly. Half-turning, he gestured to the two soldiers behind to follow him. One of them nodded and drew his gun. The other reluctantly pulled himself away from the ladder and stood beside his comrade, also drawing his gun. Escaping wasn't in the cards, it seemed.

Tifa took a few quick steps forward and caught the Shinra commander before he could place one foot on the next stair. She slammed her diamond-studded fist deep into his gut, when he keeled over she grabbed his shoulders, stepped aside, and threw him bodily down the stairs. The soldier clattered and clanged as his armour bounced off the metal stairs, until he finally came to a stop at the bottom.

Catching sight of movement in the corner of her eye, Tifa quickly ducked down as one of the oncoming soldiers made a swipe at her. She ducked low and then rose, bringing up her fist in a powerful uppercut. The blow was so powerful that the soldier was lifted off the ground and thrown backwards, falling back against the rails and slumping to the ground.

Tifa spun around to face the last soldier. Before she could strike, Cid ran up the steps and thrust out his spear, impaling the soldier on its pointy blade. The soldier staggered backward, staring at the pole that was sticking out of his stomach. He fell back against the stairs, his head rolling to the side, until he became still.

Cid walked up the remaining steps. Stopping by the body of the dead soldier, Cid placed one boot against the soldier's chest and yanked the spear free. He then stepped over the soldier and went over to the ladder. He stopped beside it, looking up at the Shinra No. 26.

"Goddammit," he cursed, his brow creasing in anger, "what the hell do they think they're gonna do to my rocket!?" He stared up at the rocket, and his hand tightened its grip on the spear. Suddenly the pilot slammed the butt of the spear against the floor, and the others jumped. Cid turned, glaring at Cloud with blue eyes blazing. "I'm outta here, Cloud! I'm gonna kick those $^%$# Shinra right out of my rocket!"

Without waiting for Cloud's approval, the pilot hooked his spear behind him and began to climb the ladder in earnest. Tifa started to call out to him to slow down and wait for them, but Cloud caught her arm. She looked about to protest, but the swordsman simply shrugged his shoulders. Cid's attention was no longer on them. All he could think about now was his rocket. It would be pointless to try and stop him.

Sheathing his sword, Cloud took hold of the rungs and began to climb the ladder after Cid. Barret followed close behind him, along with Vincent. The rest followed (Red XIII had to leap from scaffold to scaffold in order to make his way up). Cait Sith was forced to leave his Mog behind, for it was much too big to climb the ladder and not agile enough to climb the scaffolding. The Mog hopped angrily as Cait climbed up the ladder without it, before it turned and hopped away, heading back to the airship.

Cid reached the top of the ladder and looked around. Two Shinra soldiers stood further down the platform, along with a tall man in a dark suit. Cid frowned angrily, recognising the uniform of the Turks. He ought to have known that Shinra would send its lackeys to do its dirty work.

Unhooking his spear, Cid climbed up onto the platform. The Turk and the soldiers were standing beside the open door that led into the rocket, talking. Cid gripped his spear tightly and walked forward. He whistled loudly to get their attention.

It worked. The two soldiers looked up, and the Turk turned around to face him. It was Rude. The Turk raised one eyebrow as Cloud then climbed up onto the platform, drawing his Buster Sword and moving to stand beside Cid. Though the Turk's face was stoic and unreadable, he seemed almost surprised to see them.

"…You again…?" said the Turk. He cracked his knuckles meaningfully. "…We will eliminate everyone who gets in Shinra's way."

The two soldiers came forward to stand on either side of the Turk and raised their guns. The weapons clicked as rounds were loaded into the barrels. Slowly and cautiously Cloud moved to stand in front of his friends, shielding them. He readied his sword and waited for them to attack.

Rude watched as Cloud moved to protect his friends. He raised one eyebrow, the only reaction his otherwise pokerfaced visage betrayed. Adjusting his shades, he stepped forward to meet Cloud's challenge.

Their attention was so fixed on those rebels that were standing in front of them that no one paid any attention to Red XIII. The hound had been using the various bits of scaffolding littered about the rocket to make his way to the platform where Cloud and the others were now facing off against Rude and his soldiers.

His path brought him up behind the two soldiers, who did not notice when he leaped from the scaffold to land silently behind them. Baring his fangs, he pounced on the soldiers, ripping and tearing any place that he could sink his teeth.

Rude turned at the sound of the scuffle, and as soon as his back was turned Cloud darted forward and swung his sword. Catching sight of the movement through the corner of his eye, Rude turned back and swung his fist.

His knuckles scraped across the side of the blade, making them bleed but also managing to knock the sword off-course and missing his shoulder by inches. While Cloud recovered Rude raised his other fist and gave Cloud a glancing blow to the side of his face. The swordsman accepted the hit and grabbed hold of Rude's wrist. He pulled the Turk towards and past him, throwing him into the path of Cid and the others while he carried on forward to help Red XIII.

Rude stumbled forward; startled by the way he had been so easily lured into Cloud's trap. Before he could think about recovering he was grabbed once more, this time by the shoulders, and received a swift punch to his own face, dazing him.

Cid tightened his fist and punched the Turk once again in the face. The pilot was so angered by this unwanted intrusion from Shinra that he forgot all about his spear and about the others, and instead proceeded to engage in a bare-knuckle fight with the Turk. Rude managed to break free of the pilot's grasp and raised his arms to defend himself from the blows, landing his own whenever he saw an opening.

The two struggled on the platform, each trying to overpower the other. In one blow Rude managed to knock Cid's goggles off his head. Rude's shade's followed a few seconds later, clattering to the floor.

At last Cid managed to subjugate the Turk and landed one final blow. The Turk teetered backwards, fighting to keep his balance. He coughed, and blood flecked his lips. His legs buckled and he dropped to his knees, groaning painfully.

"Ugh……gh……"

Rude tried to rise to his feet. He just about managed to stand before his strength gave out again and he fell back onto the floor. He lay there, staring up at the morning sky, his chest rising and falling with each laboured breath. "……They got us," he managed to say, before his head rolled to the side and he lost consciousness.

Leaving Rude and the two soldiers (who lay wounded or unconscious on the floor) Cloud and his friends hurried towards the rocket. The door leading into the old rocket had been left wide open, and so they barged straight in. Standing in the open doorway, they looked around warily for Shinra soldiers.

A single Shinra officer was standing in the corridor. As Cloud and his friends burst through the door the officer turned and stared at them in open-mouthed surprise.

"You… you! Why are you here?" the startled soldier managed to sputter. He had to shout to be heard. The clanging of the mechanics working in the cockpit, combined with the roar of the engines, had dimmed any other sounds. "Rude of the Turks should've been here!!"

"Too bad," said Cloud. Without looking back, he jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the door. "Those guys are over there."

The officer followed his gesture and looked out the door. He could just about see Rude and the two soldiers lying motionless on the platform, dead or unconscious, he could not tell. "Oh man… the Turks, being done in like that…" Turning back to the rebels, he reached for his gun. "But, I won't let you through!"

A single shot fired, and the officer crumpled to the floor with his gun still in its holster. Vincent placed his gun back into its own holster. That was the end of that.

With no more soldiers left to block his way, Cid leaped over the body of the fallen officer and rushed to the cockpit. He ignored Cloud's calls for him to slow down and wait for them. When he reached the cockpit he threw open the doors and stormed in. There were three mechanics inside, each with their backs to him, tinkering away.

"Hey!" the pilot shouted, startling the mechanics. "What the hell're you guys doin'!?"

The three mechanics stopped what they were doing—fixing up the rocket ship's main control panel—and turned towards him. Cid recognised them as mechanics from his own town. At the sight of him their faces lit up, and they smiled widely.

"Hey!" one of the mechanics greeted cheerfully, pocketing his wrench. He stepped forward to greet Cid. "Just when I thought somethin' was goin' on, you come back!"

"Listen to me, Captain," said another mechanic. "We're gonna launch this rocket!"

Cid stared at the mechanic like he was speaking an unknown language, like the old spirits from the City of the Ancients. "Huh? What are you talkin' about?"

The third mechanic grinned widely, tapping his screwdriver against his thigh. "We're gonna load a Materia bomb in this and blow up Meteor."

"Our heart's gonna save the planet!"

"Urrrrgh. Man this is so COOL!!"

Once more Cid blinked and stared at the mechanics. Inside him, his heart and his mind were racing wildly throughout his body, and his stomach churned. Were the mechanics telling the truth? Was Shinra really planning to launch this rocket—HIS ROCKET—into outer space and use it to blow up Meteor? This hunk of junk… which he had nurtured and tinkered with every since that day when his dreams of space travel were shattered… was actually going to go into SPACE?

Cloud stepped forward to reason with the mechanics. "Wait a minute!" he began.

Before he could continue, Cid turned sharply and shot him such a sharp glare that the swordsman closed his mouth. "Shut up!!" snapped Cid. "Just shut the hell up!"

Ignoring Cloud's shocked gaze, the pilot exhaled deeply and turned back to the mechanics. "How's the rocket?" he enquired, now much calmer. Cloud, not daring to speak up again, turned to Tifa and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's pretty much okay," said the first mechanic.

"But…" The third hesitated, and his eyes shifted to the floor.

The second mechanic finished for him. "We planned to run it into Meteor on Auto-Pilot, but the most important device is broken."

"Broken?" Cid scratched his chin thoughtfully. "How's the repair goin'?"

Here the three mechanics looked easily at one another. An uncomfortable silence fell. None of the mechanics spoke, as none of them wanted to be the one who broke the news to Cid. As Cid crossed his arms and tapped his foot irritably against the floor, the second mechanic braced himself for the blow and broke the news.

"Shera's doin' it…"

He got the reaction he expected, as Cid threw his arms into the air in disgust. "Oh great!" he shouted, exasperated. The mechanics flinched. "What a buncha wizards you guys are! She's gonna take a 100 years!"

The three mechanics lowered their heads and stared at the floor. Cid let his arms drop to his sides and thought about the situation. It didn't take him long to come to a decision. He nodded his head and looked up at the three shame-faced mechanics.

"I'll take over," he said, "so don't worry about the Auto-Pilot!" He grinned widely as the mechanics stared at him in wonder. "Hey, go ahead! Go tell everyone!"

The mechanics dared not dispute him. "All right, Captain," they said. "Good luck." They ran out of the door.

When the mechanics had gone, Cloud went to Cid, his face dark. "Hey, Cid. What're you doing!?" he demanded. "There are generations of knowledge and wisdom inside the Materia. We're gonna borrow their powers and save the planet from Sephiroth. There's no way we can lose the Huge Materia. You understand that, right?"

Cid paused in silence for a moment, before turning to Cloud. The pilot's blue eyes were wide and wistful. "Yeah, I understand," he replied calmly. "I understand that Materia is precious, and I also understand what you're thinking. But listen."

The pilot paused to look around at the others, all gathered in the cockpit of his beloved Shinra No. 26. His expression hardened. He turned his gaze back to Cloud. "I don't give a rat's ass whether it's science or magical power. No, if I had to choose, I'd rather put my money on the power of science."

Cid spread his arms wide, gesturing to the array of buttons and panels, consoles and gizmos, and all the other various electronic devices that beeped and flashed throughout the cockpit.

"Humans who used to only roam around on the ground are able to fly now!" he said, and his voice filled with awe. "And finally, we're about to go into outer space! Science is a 'Power' created and developed by humans. And science just might be what saves this planet." He clenched his fist, and it shook. "I was able to earn my living thanks to science. So to me, there's nothing greater! Now quit your worrying 'bout what Shinra's gonna do!" he finished sternly. "I don't want to regret not having done something later."

"But Cid……"

"Shut the hell up!!" Cid raged. "I don't wanna hear it!!" Cloud shut his mouth again, sighing inwardly. Cid ignored him and looked around at the others. "Anyone who ain't involved, get the hell outta here!"

Just as he finished speaking, the rocket gave a loud groan from deep below them. Cid and the others looked around in alarm as a loud hum reverberated throughout the rocket, and the ground beneath them quivered vigorously. There was a loud whoosh as vented steam was released to the outside and every so often there was a loud pop, as though metal was heating up rapidly. The rocket ship's engines roared into life, deafening those in the cockpit.

"What the hell……?" said Cid, confused. "What the hell happened!?"

In answer to his question the intercom crackled, and an unwelcomingly familiar voice spoke cheerfully through.

"Hey-hey!"

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

_I forgot to mention it in the last chapter, but I was overwhelmed by a funny image as I wrote the submarine section. I don't know how many readers outside of the UK are familiar with The Beatles, but I had this image of the gang in the submarine singing "We all live in a Shinra submarine. A Shinra submarine. A Shinra submarine."_

……_Oh, how I wish I could create flash images._

_On a different note, I was estimating how many chapters it might be until the end. According to my figures, it might be just over 10 chapters left to go. So I have set myself a new target. I want to try and get this story finished before I go to Disneyland Florida in September. So that's what we're aiming for people, okay? An end before the end of September, so I can go to Disney and rejoice in peace! 8D_

……_I'd better get cracking getting the Crisis Core script down. _ I've just finished Banora._


	24. Part Thirteen: Chapter 22

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

"Hey-hey!"

Recognising that annoyingly whiny voice, Cid's lip curled in disgust. "Palmer!" he shouted. He looked up and around the cockpit, trying to find the speakers that were projecting the voice. "What the hell did'ya do!?"

Somewhere outside of Rocket Town Cid could picture the obese Head of the Space Program sitting securely in a chair, with a stupid grin on his weasely face. "They said they finished the Auto-Pilot," his voice came over on the intercom. He chuckled. "So, I laun---ched it!"

"Goddamn Shera!" Cid kicked the floor. "Why'd she pick today to get fast!"

The pilot ran over to the cockpit's main control panel where the mechanics had been working. Frantically he began pushing buttons and turning dials, trying to override the Shinra No. 26's launch system. His efforts proved fruitless. The controls had already been diverted from the cockpit to another location, probably wherever Palmer was currently based. Realising that his efforts were in vain, Cid clenched his fists and slammed them against the console.

"DAMN!" he cursed. "Won't even budge! It's completely locked up!"

"Hey-hey-hey!" Palmer's voice was still brimming with innocent cheerfulness and excitement. "Almost lift off!"

"What the!?" exclaimed Cid. He looked up at the ceiling, still searching for the speakers, even though he knew he could not get to Palmer through them. "No countdown?" The pilot shook his head. "It just don't seem the same without it!"

Cloud smacked his palm against his forehead. The lack of countdown was the _least_ of their worries right now. There was no way they could allow the rocket to take off with the Huge Materia still on board, no matter what Cid said. It wasn't about science or magical power. The Huge Materia had incredible powers sealed away inside them, powers that would be essential to stop Sephiroth. Maybe even Meteor.

Cloud looked to the doorway as Vincent re-entered the cockpit, after slipping out briefly when Palmer started talking to check the exit. The gunman looked at Cloud and shook his head. Cloud sighed, his fears realised. The exit was locked. Shinra _had_ been expecting them and had used this chance to lure them onto the rocket ship. Now Shinra could get rid of them AND Meteor in one blow.

The overhead speakers crackled with interference from the engines as Palmer spoke once more. "Hey!!!!" they heard him say eagerly. "Hey-hey!!! Blast------off!"

Outside, the engines began to roar loudly. The external vents opened to release the billowing clouds of piping hot steam that was building up inside the engines, and it flowed down the side of the rocket like water. When the countdown reached zero the ten thrusters ignited and sent searing hot flames rushing into the ground. They tore up the grass and soil, ripping it apart and burning it to cinders. The land began to tremble violently by the sheer power the thrusters puffed out, and the rocket strained against the tall metal pillars that bound it to the ground.

A giant cloud of smoke rose up around the Shinra No. 26 and spread out like a shockwave. The cloud, thick and smothering and burning hot from the blast, headed straight for Rocket Town. The townspeople had long since fled the blast zone, seeking shelter in their homes.

The cloud hit one of the nearby houses and ripped through the building as though it was paper. The roof came off and smashed against the ground. The windows shattered, sending deadly shards of glass flying throughout the town. The walls, unable to stand the strain, came apart and were carried away by the cloud. A nearby tree suffered a similar fate as it was blown sideways, held in place only through the strength of its roots. Its leaves, however, were blasted away, leaving it bare. The cloud, undeterred, swept through the rest of town, covering everything with dust.

The remaining bits of scaffold fell and clattered to the ground as the rocket shuddered and strained against the four restraining pillars. At last they gave way and pulled back, releasing the rocket. The Shinra No. 26 tilted sideways into the position it had held since its last failed launch, and for a moment it looked like the rocket would fall over completely. It didn't, and after a few unbearably long-feeling moments, the Shinra No. 26 began to rise up from the launch pad.

The rise was agonisingly slow at first as gravity sought to pull the rocket back to the ground. In the end the sheer power of the engines and the thrusters won out over the forces of nature and the ship rose higher and higher until it was over the town and rising higher into the sky. A trail of smoke was left in its wake as it soared up into the sky. Rocket Town was no longer visible from above, engulfed in smoke.

The rocket ship continued to rise higher, away from the earth and higher up into the sky than any airship could. It reached the ozone layer. The air rushing past the rocket burned red as it ploughed past, fighting its way through the ozone layer to get to the first reaches of space. Finally the rocket broke through, and the rocket emerged into outer space.

And then… silence.

Those inside the rocket stood still in silence, their breaths held fast in their lungs, for they dared not even breathe. The roar of the engines died down as the thrusters slowed down, until only the soothing hum of the engines far below them remained. The only other sound was that of the main console, which beeped every so often.

Cid raised his head and looked up at the display screen. The view outside was utterly breathtaking. Outside there was nothing but a vast black ocean, glittering with stars. They did not twinkle like they did on the planet, but simply shone with majestic radiance. The pilot's jaw fell open and his eyes widened as the knowledge of what happened finally settled in.

"I finally made it…" he whispered in awe. "Outer space…"

He was not the only one who was overcome by the view. His friends were also staring up at the screen, watching as the external camera positioned on the rocket's side slowly panned around the rocket. Even Yuffie forgot about her motion sickness as she stared at a sight no other ninja in Wutai would ever see as the planet slowly came into view. They saw the vast oceans, the continents, the scattered islands, and the swirling clouds. That was their planet, their home, so many miles below.

Cid took a deep breath and exhaled softly. He would commit this image, this moment, forever to his memory. It was possible he would never see this ever again, and he wanted to be sure he would remember this feeling until his dying days. Locking that image securely in his heart, he tore his eyes away from the beautiful view and looked down at the console before him. "Let's see, how's the course set…?" he asked himself, scratching his head.

He pushed a button. He then folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the console to respond. The camera's view faded and a star chart appeared in its place. To the left was a large green circle that represented their planet. To the right—moving slowly across the screen—was a smaller red circle. That red circle was Meteor: a vast stain on the blackness of space.

A dotted line appeared on the chart, extending from the planet and moving on an arced course towards Meteor. Watching this, Cid nodded his head. "Yup, it's headed for a collision with Meteor," he confirmed, as the dotted line flashed at the point of impact: the centre of Meteor. The star chart faded, and the camera returned.

"Can't we do something?" asked Tifa. "If it goes on, we're……"

She didn't finish her sentence. The external camera finished it for her, this time turning away from the planet and bringing up the view in front of the rocket. The large globe that was Meteor rolled into view, almost filling up the whole screen. At the sight of it, the others felt shivers go running down their spines. It was a chilling enough sight from the ground, where Meteor hung in the sky like a slowly growing sun. Up here in space, seeing it move, it was much more terrifying.

The planet was bombarded by space debris all the time. Most people never saw or heard about them, simply because they were too small to be worth mentioning on the news. Most debris in fact burned up in the planet's atmosphere upon entry, but some were large enough to make it through and crash into the ground as a lump of space rock without doing any damage to the land at all.

Meteor, on the other hand, was completely different. This 'rock' was gigantic in size, dwarfing even Midgar, the largest city on the planet. It was what was known as a 'planet-killer' amongst scientists. Meteor would not simply land in a muddy field, perhaps in a small crater, and lie there for eons to come. Meteor would smash into the planet, and the resulting shockwaves of wind and fire would tear the planet asunder. Nothing would survive that impact.

Even here, in the dark reaches of space, flamed raged across Meteor's dark and rocky surface. Looking at it brought waves of despair and fear amongst the party inside the Shinra No. 26, and so they turned their eyes from it.

Cid turned his attention back to the control console. He pushed some more buttons, scowled, and then kicked the console. "That damn Palmer went outta his way to lock the Auto-Pilot device," he informed them. "We might not be able to change course."

Another sombre silence fell as those words sank in. Cloud looked up at Meteor once again, watching as the flames that moved cross its surface fought to break away, like tendrils looking for something to hold onto. "…This is the end?" Cloud whispered.

Cid turned and looked at Cloud in surprise. "Huh? What the hell're you sayin'?" he asked. "You're still young, and you give up that easily? I'm not gonna crash into Meteor." He turned back to the console, pushing another button. "Just watch."

The display screen changed once more, and Meteor thankfully disappeared from their sight. In its place appeared a view of one of the corridors in the lower bowels of the rocket ship. In the corridor stood what looked like a pod. Cid pushed another button, and data began to sprawl down the screen, revealing the pod's statistics. Cid looked at the data for a moment, and then smiled to himself. He turned to the others.

"I keep an Escape Pod on the rocket just for emergencies like this," he explained to the others. The pilot sounded much more casual now, acting as though being in space was a natural thing. He walked past Cloud to the wall and reached up to tap a code into a panel there. He then pulled on a lever. "I deciphered the lock code on the Escape Pod," he added, turning back. "We'll bail right before we crash into Meteor."

"But, what are we going to do with the Huge Materia?" Red XIII asked. He lifted a hind leg to scratch behind his ear. "Are we just going to give it up?"

"……" Cid closed his eyes thoughtfully for a moment. Despite his bold words about science and power earlier, he didn't really care what became of the Huge Materia. He'd achieved his dream, and that was all that mattered. "If you want the Materia, do whatever you want!" He nodded his head towards a recess in the opposite wall, where a ladder stood. "The Materia should be there after you climb the ladder."

Cid turned and looked at the ladder. "…You sure?" he asked sceptically.

"I dunno…" admitted Cid with a shrug. "I know what I said a minute ago." The pilot raised his gaze to the ceiling, and the wistful look returned to his eyes as he recalled the feeling. "But maybe all I really wanted was just to go into outer space." He looked back at his friends. "So, why don't you all do what you think is right?"

Cloud met the pilot's gaze, and then finally understood. Going into outer space had always been the air pilot's dream. It was a dream he thought he'd lost forever. When he realised that he finally had the chance to achieve that dream he'd longed for, well, of course he'd do anything to make it happen. Now that he'd achieved it, blowing up Meteor was next to meaningless. The swordsman smiled and nodded at Cid, before he went to the ladder in the recess and climbed to the chamber beyond.

Cid's guess was right. There was a large chamber just above the cockpit, and it was here, luckily for them, where Shinra had stored the Huge Materia. The chamber was empty except for a secure glass case fitted into an advanced lock in the middle of the room. Pipes ran from all directions across the floor to the centre, using mako drawn from the engines to power the lock.

The Huge Materia lay inside the glass container, resting on a small tripod. The Materia glowed with innate energy, giving its immediate surroundings an eerie, mystical glow. Cloud walked up to the Huge Materia and peered inside. He could see his reflection, small and fragmented, in its rugged surface. Even locked inside a secure glass case, he could feel the huge power contained within it.

"I finally found the Huge Materia…" he whispered, awestruck. He reached out with one hand and placed his fingertips against the glass. Small electrical charges rushed through the muscles of his hands, as the power locked inside fought for escape.

Cid came to stand beside him and examined the lock closely. At the base of the lock was a keypad. "It's structured so that the lock can be opened if we enter the passcode from this control panel," he said. He looked at Cloud, and was amused by the awe-filled way the young man was staring at the Huge Materia.

"Hey, Cloud," he said, not trying hard to hide his smirk of amusement. "You know how to use it, right? Every time it says 'Enter Passcode', push one of those buttons. If you punch in the right code, it'll unlock and you can get the Huge Materia!"

Cloud caught sight of that grin and scowled, his cheeks flushing faintly. "So, what order am I supposed to enter the passcode in?" he asked hotly.

"I dunno," the pilot replied, shrugging. "Just try and punch in the code randomly."

Swallowing his irritation, Cloud tore his eyes from the Huge Materia and examined the keypad. As Cid said: it was simple enough to operate. The lock required a four-digit code in order to release its precious contents. But what code would be the correct one? Realising he had nothing else to lose, Cloud punched in the first code that he could think of.

As soon as he had finished inputting the code, the glass case suddenly dropped about one inch deeper into the lock. A number of clamps rose up and fitted around the case, holding it firmly in place. A computerised voice spoke from the machine.

"Passcode input error: Unauthorised User Identified. Protection System will activate in three minutes."

A clock appeared on a panel next to the keypad and began to tick down. Cloud glared up at Cid, who looked back at him with an innocent expression. "Seems like you missed the code!" he said. He ignored Cloud's scowl and carried on: "If we don't enter the correct passcode before the Protection System activates, we won't be able to get the Huge Materia back!"

Cloud cursed and turned back to the keypad, beginning to input numbers at random, trying to figure out the lock. Cid tried to help by offering advice, but it had been so long since he had used this locking system that he could not remember the code entirely, just bits and pieces. Each time Cloud put in the wrong code the lock buzzed loudly, as though mocking him.

As the timer ticked away their precious seconds, Cid grabbed his hair and yanked it until tears came into his eyes. The more time that passed, the further away the correct code seemed to move out of his grasp. Of all the times to forget!

Just as the clock went past the one minute mark, Cloud put in another code and the lock suddenly clicked loudly. The timer flashed and then went blank. Cloud shuffled back away from the lock as the clamps released the glass case. The light went out and it rose, and the door silently slid open, releasing the Huge Materia.

"Passcode confirmed. Identified as an Authorised User. Unlocked."

"Alright, Cloud!!" Cid cheered. "It's unlocked! Yup, my great advice saved the day." He folded his arms and nodded his head, congratulating himself for his hard work. Around him the others looked at each other, hiding their smiles behind their hands.

Cloud said nothing. He took the Huge Materia out of the case and looked down at it. The Materia was warm; he could feel its power radiating through his palms. Carefully Cloud rose to his feet and handed their precious cargo to Vincent. The dark-haired gunman took it from him and, just as carefully, stored it away.

They went back down the ladder and into the cockpit. From there, Cid ushered them out of the main door and down the corridor towards a second ladder that would take them down to the engine room where the escape pod was stored. Once they were all safely down the ladder Cid took the lead again, urging them on.

The first corridor they came across housed the Shinra No. 26's eight oxygen tanks. The door on the eighth tank was slightly open, unable to close, and electricity was sparking all over it.

Cid stormed into the corridor, followed closely by the others. None of them noticed the eighth tank and moved straight on, hurrying to reach the escape pod before the rocket collided with Meteor. The pilot, still in the lead, was just walking past Tank Number 8 when the electricity came into contact with the oxygen flowing inside it. There oxygen ignited, and then exploded.

The resulting blast was so violent that it shook the corridor down to its core, throwing everybody off their feet. There came a loud crash and an equally loud cry of pain. Smoke filled the corridor, blocking everything from view.

* * *

At that time Shera was still hard at work inside the engine room. She had hidden inside the escape pod to evade the searing heat that filled the engine room during the launch. Once the heat had died down—escaping through the vents—she exited the escape pod and continued with her maintenance work.

She was just checking the temperature levels of the engines when a loud explosion suddenly rocked the chamber. Shera's head snapped around to the door, and her eyes widened as she saw wisps of smoke seep through the door. She dropped her clipboard and hurried towards the oxygen tanks. She knew this would happen.

* * *

As the smoke began to clear, Cloud and the others saw the damage the explosion had caused. The oxygen tank had been blown apart in the blast, and the surrounding tanks were also dented and leaking precious oxygen. Debris lay scattered throughout the corridor, charred and smoking. Steam, tainted with the scent of mako, poured from the broken pipes. Cloud went over to the tank and looked inside. It was a mess.

Cid lay in the middle of the corridor. The blast had thrown him against the far wall and onto the floor. Part of the oxygen tank's door had also been thrown away in the blast and had landed on his leg, pinning him to the floor. The pilot, stunned, struggled to sit up. When his head cleared and he tried to pull himself free, a sharp, agonising pain shot up his leg.

"Grrrgh!" the pilot cried out. "My leg's stuck in the debris……"

"Cid!!" Cloud left the oxygen tank and ran to Cid's side. Tifa joined him, and together they tried to lift the broken door off the pilot's leg. It was much heavier than they expected, and it barely moved.

"…I can't!" exclaimed Tifa, releasing the debris. "It's so heavy, I can't lift it…"

Barret started to come forward to help, but Cid waved his hand to usher them away. "Don't worry 'bout me," he said sternly. "Hurry up and go! If you don't hurry, the rocket's gonna crash into Meteor!"

Cid looked at Cloud earnestly, hoping that the swordsman would see sense and leave him behind. Cloud felt his throat tighten, torn. He already knew what decision he would make, without even asking the others. Fighting against the choking feeling, he met the pilot's gaze, level and steady. "…I can't go without my friends," he answered, before grabbing the door plate and once again trying to lift it.

"You ^%#&%……! No time to worry 'bout other people!"

Cloud didn't listen. "I'm gonna do whatever I can," he replied. He tugged again, his muscles straining with the weight. Tifa helped out too, grabbing an edge and trying to lift the plate even just a few inches off the floor. Barret and Vincent joined them, adding their strength to the rescue effort.

Cid stared through wide eyes as the four of them worked together to free him. Even with the four of them tugging together the plate was extremely heavy and difficult to lift. With each tug the plate only moved a centimetre at a time. At this rate, the rocket would crash before they could get him free. Cid shook his head incredulously.

"You're stupid," he said, though his voice lacked the anger and irritation it had before. "You're really $#&^%* stupid."

The four continued to work, huffing and puffing as they steadily began to drag the door along the floor. It was still painfully slow work. Cid raised his eyes and looked at the remains of the oxygen tank that had blown up. The irony was almost painful. Realising this, the pilot held his head in despair.

"Tank Number 8 blew up……" he said gravely. "So Tank Number 8…… really was malfunctioning…… Shera… You were right. But," Cid's fingers clenched and tears of despair formed in the corner of his eyes. "……this is the end for me."

"Don't say that, Cid."

Cid's head snapped up. Shera was standing in the doorway, looking down at him. For a moment he thought he must have banged his head harder than he thought, for it was impossible that she could be here. Cloud and his friends stopped tugging on the plate and looked up at the Rocket Town engineer, just as surprised as Cid.

"Huh!? Shera!?"

Shera, on the other hand, did not seem at all surprised to see them. Deep in her heart, she had known that Cid would turn up once news about Shinra's plans to launch the space rocket spread.

"I tagged along," she said with a smile. "I'm coming to help you." She moved a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear before walking over and kneeling beside Cloud. The engineer nodded at Cloud and the others, and the five of them together began to pull on the plate. It moved slowly, steadily, but it moved.

Cid continued to stare. "You stupid &$#&%*%&%#!!"

The pilot flushed hotly, and his hand rushed to cover his mouth. A guilty look passed over his face. After taking a deep breath, he finally apologised. Not just for swearing at her, but for all the years he had cursed and swore and treated her like… like she was garbage.

"……Sorry."


	25. Part Thirteen: Chapter 23

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Shera led Cid, Cloud, and the others through the engine room to the corridor where the Escape Pod was stored. As she opened the door, a wave of air that was still warm following the launch wafted over them. One breath was enough to parch their throats, and they had to pause for a moment to adjust to the hotness.

"The Escape Pod is this way," said Shera, stopping at the end of the corridor. "Please hurry." She seemed unbothered by the dense, warm air that had left the others wishing longingly for something cool to drink. They braced themselves before entering the corridor, and followed Shera to the Escape Pod.

There was only one Escape Pod onboard the Shinra No. 26, which was only designed to hold a very small crew. It was decided by Shinra officials at the time that only one pod was needed, since it was expected that in a crisis it would be the engineers who would escape, while the captain—Cid—would go down with the rocket. Cid had never argued this point, but as they all piled into the Escape Pod, he wished that he had.

It was a very tight fit. The Escape Pod was built to hold only a small handful of people, not the nine people that it was trying to fit in right then. Shera entered first, followed by Cloud and Cid. The others began to pile in slowly behind them, trying not to trip over or tread on each other's toes (or paws).

"Hurry," Shera urged them. "I'm going to detach the Escape Pod."

Cid jumped off the last step and walked forward. He looked out of the window at the opposite end of the Escape Pod, where the inner wall of the rocket ship could be seen. The Pod was actually attached to an inner panel inside the wall of the rocket ship. The panel would break away with the pod upon detachment and then, once the pod was at a safe distance from the rocket, the panel would fall away and float into space. "Hey, Shera!" said Cid. "Does this Pod really fly?"

The others all snapped their heads around and glared at him. They had all assumed that since Cid had mentioned the Escape Pod that meant that it _DID_ work. Cloud sighed and shook his head. He was starting to believe that Cid was as selective with his information as Cait Sith. He looked down at the cat, sitting on Red XIII's back. Cait looked back at him with a puzzled expression.

Shera looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded confidently. "It'll be okay," she assured the pilot. "I've been checking it till now."

Cid paused for a long moment. He scratched his head. "……Then I'm relieved."

Shera's face flushed bright red in gratitude. She hurriedly lowered her head to hide her blush, and her hands played absently with her glasses. "……Thanks."

They all took their seats. Some of them were forced to stand or squish together on the seats, sharing seatbelts. Though no one said it out loud (except for Red XIII, who lost his temper his tail was trodden on for the fourth time), they were all thankful Cait Sith had left his Mog behind.

Once they were all seated and secured, Shera instructed sealed the Escape Pod's door and began the detachment process.

The Escape Pod shuddered, and there came the sound of a loud 'whoosh' as the pod—still with the panel attached—was released from the rocket. Those inside the pod were overwhelmed with the sensation of being rolled, and they were thankful for their seatbelts holding them in place.

There was a second shudder as the panel finally separated and fell away from the pod. The panel remained where it was, hovering in the vacuum, while the pod began to make its way back towards the planet, like it had been programmed long ago.

Cid pressed himself against the window, his eyes looking out eagerly at the view. Before he had only seen a camera's-eye view of space, but now he was able to look at it with his own eyes. Inside the pod, away from the dull roar of the rocket ship's engines, everything was serenely quiet. The only sound was the steady beep of the console and gentle hum of the pod's engines, along with the thudding of his heart.

His head rolled as he gazed at the vast expanse of space laid out before him, looking up and down, left and right. He took it all in, adding yet more memories. Though the stars did not twinkle or flicker, they were incredibly beautiful. He wished he could have taken a picture, but no picture could possibly have compared with this.

To his left, coming in steadily, he could see the planet. It was rapidly growing larger as the pod drifted towards it. It would not be long until the pod re-entered the planet's atmosphere, and they would once again be on solid ground. To his right was Meteor. Even Meteor seemed vaguely wonderful—if frightening—from here. Cid's breath caught in his throat. Space held wonders that were just as beautiful and just as amazing as any the planet could offer mankind. He returned his eyes to the stars.

"So this is…… outer space…" the pilot breathed. His voice was barely a whisper, for he felt that any loud sound would somehow ruin the calm serenity of space. "Man… it's the real thing… I'm really here in outer space…"

Before he returned to his seat, the pilot took one final look to his right. He watched as the Shinra No. 26 flew steadily away from them, growing smaller and smaller as it headed towards Meteor. For a brief moment Cid felt a lump in the bottom of his throat. He swallowed it, and smiled fondly.

"So long, Shinra No. 26."

When the pod hit the planet's exosphere, sparks of light began to flicker around it and trail away like the embers of a fire. They passed through quickly and then hit the thermosphere. A wave of fiery red light swept over the escape pod until it became a glowing ball of light. The temperature outside the pod increased as they passed through, until the exterior glowed red-hot.

The pod rattled and clattered as it moved through the atmosphere. Those inside cast nervous glances at each other, except for Cid and Shera, who both sat calmly.

The Shinra No. 26, now devoid of its cargo and its crew, continued on its way towards Meteor. The rocket seemed so small and insignificant in comparison, yet it carried the hopes of all the people living on the planet. It flew right through the stormy flames that raged over Meteor's surface, and then collided.

The ensuing blast was so intense and powerful that its effects could be seen from the planet. A bright light, emanating from the point of contact, swept out and engulfed Meteor until it became a ball of white light. It grew and grew, heading for the planet.

In Midgar, the citizens gathered in droves outside of Shinra Headquarters, waiting for news. Many had their eyes already turned upward, watching Meteor. One man stopped and pointed to the sky as a bright light erupted from Meteor. The light filled the skies, and the citizens were forced to shield their eyes as it fell over the city.

The light stretched across the surface of the planet, reaching even as far as Cosmo Canyon. Those villagers who had dared to come outside stood and watched as the wave of light swept across the sky, blocking Meteor and even the clouds from view.

In his hologram room, Bugenhagen floated silently before a hologram of the planet, with Meteor hanging just as silently above it. He had watched as events unfolded, and saw even the moment when the rocket had collided. Meteor erupted into flame, and Bugenhagen covered his eyes as a light filled even his hologram room.

After a few moments of blinding intensity, the light began to fade. It retreated from the skies and the planet, and slowly but surely everything became visible again.

The citizens outside of Shinra Headquarters finally lowered their arms. They opened their eyes cautiously, and blinked in the sudden darkness that had been left in the light's wake. Then they remembered Meteor and looked up at the sky, believing that not even Meteor could survive such a blast.

They looked up, and then cried out in horror and dismay. Meteor was still there.

The rocket had collided with Meteor at the centre of its outer shell. The front of this shell remained undamaged, but the rear had suffered massive damage. The shockwaves causes by the blast had ripped apart the outer shell, and large chunks of rock had broken away from the main body. They trailed behind Meteor, held in place by giant bolts of blue-white lightning that flashed from Meteor's inner shell. In spite of this, Meteor continued to move forward towards the planet.

Silence fell over Cosmo Canyon. The villagers watching the spectacle were not surprised that the plan failed. Meteor was a thing of nature, and there was nothing Shinra could make that could rival the power of nature. In his room, Bugenhagen thought different, respecting both the powers of nature _and_ man. Still, as he saw Meteor still hanging above the planet, he could not help but shake his head.

In Midgar, the citizens were devastated. They fell to their knees and hit the floor with their fists as despair began to fill their hearts. Others hid their faces and cried openly. It seemed not even Shinra—the most powerful company on the planet—had the power to stop Meteor.

* * *

Back onboard the Highwind, Cloud stood by the main window and looked up at Meteor. It was only an hour past midday, but already the sky was turning red. Meteor's presence was affecting everything, it seemed. He turned his eyes to the west and looked at Meteor. It seemed smaller now that a large chunk of it had been blasted away, but Cloud knew that it would grow much bigger soon enough.

"Rufus and the others' plan was a failure…" he said, shaking his head.

"What a bust…" said Barret. "But I kinda hoped it'd work."

Cait Sith lowered his head and kicked his feet gently against his Mog's forehead. "We been botherin' them as much as we can…" he said miserably. "But there ain't no other way…" He scratched his furry chin, and then voiced everybody's thoughts by adding: "Wonder if we've been wrong all this time?"

Red XIII shook his head. "Makes you worry, doesn't it?" he muttered.

A gloomy silence fell over the bridge. Even the Highwind's crew fell silent, standing at their posts with sombre looks on their faces. They had all worked so hard to interfere with Shinra's plans and get the Huge Materia, but they had not really thought too hard about the consequences of their actions. Meteor had been damaged by the blast, but if the Huge Materia had been on board, then maybe Meteor could have been destroyed completely. Had their actions actually condemned the planet?

Tifa tore her gaze away from the window and looked around at the downcast faces of her friends. "Don't worry!" she told them. "Think!"

"Hey, the girl's right." Cid left to the controls to his trainee pilot and rejoined the others. He looked round at them all and shook an accusing finger. "You start worryin' and there's no stoppin' it! Things just start fallin' apart and get worse and worse."

"You're pretty damn optimistic!" Barret crossed his arms. "You up to somethin'?"

Cid waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, I been thinkin' 'bout this and that," he said. "All the time we been up here lookin' at the planet. I been thinkin' even when we were floatin' in the ocean in that escape pod."

Cloud pressed his hand against the glass, his eyes still on Meteor. It was hard to remain positive in a situation like this. Already he could feel the beginnings of despair. It coiled in his stomach, like a serpent preparing to strike. He knew who would—should—be standing in the centre of the group, urging them all not to be sad… But she was not around anymore. Cloud sighed and turned from the window.

"I've… been thinking, too," he said quietly. "About the universe… planet… ocean. How wide and big… No matter where I go and what I do it won't change a thing."

Cid faced the swordsman and shook his head. "Maybe you're right," the pilot agreed. Cloud's face fell and he turned away to look at the floor, while Cid looked around at the others. "But I came up with something different. I always though this planet was so huge. But lookin' at it from space, I realised it's so small. We're just floatin' in the dark… Kind of makes you feel powerless.

"On top of that, it's got Sephiroth festerin' inside it like a sickness," the pilot continued. He shook his head again. "That's why I say this planet's still a kid. A little kid sick and trembling in the middle of this huge universe. Someone' gotta protect it. Ya follow me? That someone is us."

"Cid… that's beautiful," said Tifa, gazing at the pilot with newfound admiration.

Even Barret was impressed. "Yo! Cid! You even got to me!" he said. "Do, now what? How're we gonna protect the planet from Meteor?"

They all looked at Cid expectantly, eager to hear his answer. The pilot slowly turned on the spot and scratched his head. Then, with everyone's eyes still on him, the pilot walked over to the wheel and sank onto the floor, his head down.

"……………I'm still thinkin' about that."

That was that. Tifa shook her head as the moment that had gripped them came and went. The group separated and returned to their usual places onboard the Highwind, thinking about what they could do in order to save the planet (except for Yuffie, who returned to her usual place on the lower deck and thinking about _not_ throwing up).

Red XIII padded softly down the steps to the lower half of the main deck, lost in thought. He sat on his haunches and sighed heavily. The way things were going, he would not be able to keep his promise to his grandfather, or to his father, Seto. To become a warrior true to his father's noble name, that had been his promise. What noble warrior would he be if he allowed the village his father fought so had to protect get destroyed by Meteor?

Suddenly the hound raised his head. His ears twitched. Did he just imagine hearing that sound? He rose to his feet and looked up, his ears turning this way and that, straining to hear. "Huh!?" he said, blinking in confusion.

The sound came again, so faint that it could barely be heard even with _his_ hearing. Red XIII ran back to the others. His friends were still thinking hard, trying to come up with ways to save the planet. The hound barked sharply, drawing their attention. "Did you……hear something?" Red XIII asked them.

Everybody listened carefully as the sound came again, this time loud enough for all to hear. A pained, anguished cry sounded throughout the airship. It came apparently from nowhere but could be heard everywhere at once. The Highwind crew, hearing this for the first time, looked up in alarm.

"The planet's scream…… or Meteor…?" Tifa whispered. She raised her eyes to the ceiling, remembering this cry. She had heard this same cry from deep within the Lifestream. That cry had been angry and full of hate. This cry, on the other hand, was the cry of something that was clearly in pain and reaching out. Tifa felt the cry resonate within her, and she placed her hand over her heart. "Is this the planet?"

The others felt it, too—an ethereal substance reaching out and touching their hearts. It was, like Cid had said, as though a child was reaching out to them and asking for help, crying in pain. Was the planet truly asking for their help? Was that even possible? It was scarcely believable.

"Hey, how do we know that this is really the planet's scream?" Cloud asked, sceptical.

"Did you forget?" replied Tifa. "Bugenhagen told us."

Cloud folded his arms across his chest and nodded his head. He had forgotten about the old man, with his strange ability to float in the air. The old man was the elder of Cosmo Canyon, and probably the most brilliant and wisest man on the planet—even more so than some of Shinra's best scientists. It was only because of Bugenhagen that they knew anything about the Lifestream or the consciousness of the planet, and how the Mako Reactors were steadily sucking the life out of the planet.

"Bugenhagen…" Cloud muttered thoughtfully.

"Let's go see Grandfather!" interrupted Red XIII. The hound leapt to his feet, his eyes glittering excitedly. "To Cosmo Canyon! I'm sure he'll be able to tell us something that will be helpful."

Cloud nodded in agreement. He had been thinking the same. Bugenhagen had been able to put them on the right track last time. Perhaps he would be able to help them out this time, too, when all other options were gone.

The swordsman looked around to see if there were any objections. Seeing no objections from the others, he nodded at Cid. The pilot grinned and instructed his apprentice to make for Cosmo Canyon. The apprentice turned the wheel and the airship slowly turned to the east, heading back to the western continent.


	26. Part Thirteen: Chapter 24

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

They arrived at Cosmo Canyon within the hour. The landscape surrounding the area was too rough and rugged for the Highwind to land, so they were forced to make their landing on the plains just outside of the cliffs and walk the rest of the way.

There was one awkward moment during the flight when the Highwind flew over the Nibel Plains. Cloud and Tifa had looked out of the window and watched in silence as Nibelheim passed by beneath them. Though both were born and raised in that town, it no longer felt like home. Not now they knew all of its dark secrets.

Cloud had spent some time looking down at Shinra Manor. From above it looked like any other mansion. But beneath its creaking floorboards was the manor's true secret—another of Professor Hojo's secret labs. It was there that Hojo had tested on the injured Cloud and Zack following Sephiroth's defeat at the Reactor. Sensing his discomfort, Tifa had placed her hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly.

Once in Cosmo Canyon, Red XIII bounded swiftly up the slope and stopped outside the main building. It had been so long since he had been home that he was filled with excitement—an excitement that his tail showed keenly, swishing back and forth. The hound barked, urging them to hurry up. Barret and the others were too exhausted after their trek through the cliffs to continue for now, so Cloud and Tifa left them outside to rest while they followed Red XIII up to Bugenhagen's room. They took the three pieces of Huge Materia with them, carrying it in a large bag.

They found Bugenhagen waiting in his planetary display room. The old man must have known that they were coming, for he started speaking the moment they entered the room, even though he had his back to them.

"Ho Ho Hoooo. If you are ever in need of my wisdom, you are always welcome here." The old man turned and smiled broadly, his old face creasing.

"Yeah, that's why we came," said Cloud, squeezing past Red XIII and making his way towards the old man.

Bugenhagen folded his hands behind his back and looked up at the blank dome hanging over them. He did not need the added effect of holographic planets to project the images his mind's eye could see. "What to do? Have you lost your way? When that happens, we each have to take a good, long look at ourselves." He took his eyes off the dome and fixed his gaze on the three in front of him, looking at each in turn. "There's always something in the deepest reaches of our hearts. Something buried or forgotten. Remember it…" he urged them. "Whatever that is, must certainly be what you are all looking for."

"That's easy enough to say," Cloud muttered, running a hand through his hair, "but I can't remember a thing."

Bugenhagen looked at him closely, his expression unreadable. "It must be there," he insisted. "Look harder!"

Tifa's brow creased as she thought hard, but nothing came to her. "…No good," she said, shaking her head. "Cloud, let's have the others come."

Cloud nodded and pulled out the PHS from his pocket. He was surprised the device had lasted as long as it had, after being thrown about, dropped into the Lifestream, and even sent up into space. Yet it did still work, and so after a brief word with Barret, he placed the device back into his pocket and waited for the others to arrive.

Barret and the others arrived a few minutes later. Once Cloud finished telling them what it was they had to do, they piled into the room and began to think. While they were thinking, Bugenhagen watched them closely, waiting for them to remember.

"Do you see it?" the old man asked, breaking the silence. "What is it that you are searching for?"

There was another long silence. Cait shook his head. "Nope. Not a thing," he said. He crossed his legs and drummed his fingers against his megaphone. Then he rubbed his chin and tugged his whiskers, as though changing actions would help him to remember. The cat sighed. "Naw," he said finally. "Can't come up with a thing."

"Me either!" said Yuffie loudly, as she rapped her knuckles against her head. "I don't get any of this."

Cloud hesitated before answering. "I remember Aeris a lot," he said. He then frowned and looked at the ground. "No, not that," he corrected himself. "You haven't remembered. You haven't forgotten. That's not it… How would you say it…"

The swordsman tapped his foot against the floor as he tried to sort through his thoughts. No matter where he started, all lines of thought eventually led him to Aeris. Her smiling face was always there in the back of his mind. Smiling… Aeris was always smiling, always cheerful… No matter what the situation was, no matter how grim things became, Aeris was always there to lift everyone's spirits.

He remembered their first meeting, that fateful morning when he had crashed through the church roof in Sector 5. The first thing he had seen when he opened his eyes was her face smiling down at him.

He remembered the destruction of Sector 7. Aeris had been with Tseng on his helicopter, about to be taken away for Hojo's human experiments. She had smiled then, after assuring them that little Marlene had managed to make it to safety.

He remembered their date in the Gold Saucer. Aeris had smiled the most that night, thoroughly enjoying the time she had spent with him that night. He could clearly remember those moments in the gondola, going around the theme park, watching as the fireworks lit up the night sky.

It was during that gondola ride that Aeris had turned to him and said "I want to meet… you." At the time, Cloud had found those words confusing. Now that he knew the truth about himself, he had to wonder… Did Aeris have a feeling all along?

Lastly, he remembered Aeris's last moments on that podium in the Forgotten City. She'd smiled then, too, right before Sephiroth had descended and cut her life short.

"Aeris was right there all along," said Cloud, as recalled each memory, each one more painful than the last. "Right by our side. She was so close, we couldn't see her. What Aeris did… The words she left behind…"

"That reminds me… I was the same," said Tifa, remembering her first meeting with Aeris, during her infiltration of Don Corneo's mansion. Even though they had only just met, Aeris had willingly decided to participate in Tifa's plans to find out what Don Corneo was scheming.

Red XIII nodded his head, smiling softly with memories of Aeris. "…As was I." He could almost feel the Ancient's touch against his head, scratching behind his ears. Looking down at his tail, he remembered the way Aeris would walk along behind him, her eyes lit up in fascination as she watched his tail move of its own accord.

"Me too," said Barret.

Everyone had their own memories of Aeris, each one of them precious in their own way. Aeris had never judged anyone based on their actions. Whether they had been terrorists (or freedom fighters, as Barret insisted) or Shinra employees (as Cait recalled sheepishly), Aeris had always been there to offer a smile. Of course, none of that had anything to do with Aeris being an Ancient. That was unimportant. It was just Aeris being…… Aeris.

But was that always the case? Cloud thought back to the events following the destruction of the Temple of the Ancients. That strange dream he'd had… when he and Aeris had been standing in the middle of the Sleeping Forest. Had that really been a dream, or had Aeris used her powers as an Ancient to speak to him? Now that he thought about it more clearly, he believed it was the latter. Aeris had been smiling then, too, even as she ran on through the Sleeping Forest to the Forgotten City. Cloud ran those last moments speaking with her in his mind.

"_This forest leads to the City of the Ancients… and is called the Sleeping Forest. It's only a matter of time before Sephiroth uses Meteor. That's why I'm going to protect it. Only a survivor of the Cetra, like me, can do it… The secret is just up here. At least it should be… I feel it. It feels like I'm being led by something. Then, I'll be going now. I'll come back when it's all over."_

"She said she was the only one who could stop Sephiroth's Meteor," said Cloud. Something suddenly occurred to him, and he thought about that scene again, running Aeris's words over and over in his mind.

"But Aeris is gone," said Tifa.

"Is it impossible for us to carry on… what Aeris tried to accomplish?" asked Red XIII.

Barret raised one eyebrow and looked down at the hound sceptically. "We ain't no Ancients, if that's what ya mean," he said.

"What, did that girl go off to that place?" asked Cid.

Suddenly, Cloud snapped his fingers. "That's it!!"

Cid blinked. "What's it?"

Cloud looked around, and his eyes lit up as a thought—for that's all it was—suddenly clicked. "We don't know about it. What did Aeris know?" he asked them all. "Why did she face Sephiroth without running away?"

"I see…" said Red XIII, also thinking back. "She returned there once again, correct?"

Bugenhagen listened in silence as they talked. He stroked his beard. He had seen much in his long years of life and knew much about Nanaki's friends and their journey, but there was only so much his machines could tell him. It seemed that Nanaki and his companions had begun to discover the memory that they had forgotten. Perhaps returning to the scene would help them to remember it further. "Hmmm," the old man said thoughtfully. "Perhaps I'll have you take me there."

"You're going too?" Red XIII asked, surprised.

"What's so surprising about that…?" returned Bugenhagen, and his voice carried a slight, reprimanding tone. "Even I want to get out from time to time and see the outside world." The old man then smiled and looked up at his blank dome. "I wonder what did it? I haven't felt like this in ages."

"It must be the planet," said the hound, smiling back at his grandfather admiringly. "The planet is calling you!"

Cid rolled his eyes and made no effort to hide the cynicism from his voice. "Yeah, hoo boy, the planet calling… right." Deciding that this was too philosophical for him, the pilot pushed himself away from the wall and walked out of the room, reaching for his cigarettes as he left. He'd accepted much on this long journey, but the concept of a planet talking and calling out to people was just too much.

Bugenhagen clasped his hands behind his back once more and looked around at those remaining in the room. "Ho Ho Hoooo," he chuckled. "Then let's go."

One by one the others left the room, until only Cloud and Bugenhagen were left. "Oh yeah, Bugenhagen," said Cloud, approaching the old man, who turned to face him. "I have one more thing I want to ask you." The swordsman held out the bag he had been carrying—the one containing the Huge Materia. "We're carrying around Huge Materia. This is pretty delicate stuff and we would like to keep it in a safe place…"

Bugenhagen looked at the plain, nondescript bag with interest. "Ho Ho Hoooo. Then we'll put it upstairs," he said. "Now, shall we be on our way? I'll teach you how to work the machine. Watch carefully now. You just pull this here…"

Cloud watched as Bugenhagen pulled on the lever next to the machine and then joined him on the panel. It hummed and the lights dimmed, making the room dark. Lights then came on from the dome overhead and the panel began to rise. Cloud looked up as the ascended into the observatory, where Bugenhagen watched the stars and planets, as well as the events of the world.

Once they were inside the dome, Cloud opened the bag. Reaching inside, Cloud pulled out one of the three pieces of Huge Materia. He held it out in front of him. The Materia floated up out of his palm and hovered in the air before him, of its own will. The Materia then floated slowly across the holographic solar system, stopping beneath one of the larger planets that circled the dome.

As Cloud withdrew the other two pieces, Bugenhagen examined them with interest. "Ho Ho Hoooo. Is this what you call Huge Materia…?" He watched as the other two pieces copied the first and floated across the dome, stopping beneath the large planet. The old man stroked his beard. "This is really rare Materia, indeed. Materia this rare is certain to have a special consciousness enclosed in it."

Putting the bag down on the panel, Cloud approached one of the floating pieces. He had not been able to properly examine them before, not with everything that had gone on. Now that he had chance, he looked at it closely.

The Huge Materia's rugged surface glittered as the light of the holographic sun passed over it. As Cloud leaned over, the Materia began to glow a gentle green. It had gentle warmth that passed over his face like a warm breath.

"Huge Materia…" the swordsman whispered softly. "It's glowing strangely." He moved closer to it. He could feel its power lying dormant inside it, waiting to be activated. "This colour… it's the same colour as magic materia."

Cloud left that one and went to the next piece of Huge Materia. This one was a fiery red, and emitted a fierce glow as he approached. Its heat burned hotly against his face as he leaned in. "This colour… it's the same colour as summoned Materia."

Cloud left that one and went over to the last piece of Huge Materia—the one they collected from the rocket. The fourth and final piece still lay at the bottom of the ocean in the sunken submarine. As Cloud stood by the third piece, it started to glow. Unlike the other pieces, this one emitted a cold, icy glow. As Cloud leaned over, he could see his breath puff out in front of him, condensing on the Materia's surface.

Curious Cloud touched the Huge Materia's crystal surface with the tip of his finger. He recoiled instantly as an icy chill spread through his hand, making it numb. Cloud rubbed his hands vigorously, trying to restore its warmth. It wasn't just the glow that was cold—the Materia itself was cold as ice! It hadn't been that cold on the rocket ship… what was making it so cold?

A loud roar suddenly shook the dome. Cloud and Bugenhagen looked up in alarm as it echoed around them, making the dome rattle loudly. Even the holographic stars and planets quivered.

"Is that… Bahamut…?" Cloud asked. A second roar sounded, deeper than the first. It joined with the first roar, until both were roaring in unison.

A flash of light caught his eye. Cloud looked down at his gauntlet. The two pieces of summon materia—Bahamut and Neo Bahamut—were both pulsing with light. A third roar sounded in reply to the two dragon's calls. The two summon materia's glowed fiercely and rattled in their holdings. There was another flash of light, and Cloud looked up at the Huge Materia in front of him.

The Huge Materia glowed brightly, the light pulsing in waves across its surface. The unknown roar sounded once again, making the dome rattle right down to its bolts. The light intensified, and something dropped from the Huge Materia and rolled by Cloud's feet. The two summon materia in Cloud's gauntlet stopped shaking, and the light gradually faded. Cloud lowered his arms and looked at the Huge Materia. The Materia was no longer glowing, and returned to its dormant, coldly glowing state. Cloud turned his attention to the item by his feet.

It was a ball of summon materia. It was a slightly deeper shade of red than ordinary summon materia, but it was summon materia all the same. Cloud bent down and picked it up, holding it up to his eye so he could see inside. There was the shadow of a six-winged dragon there, roaring silently. Cloud looked at the Huge Materia in wonder. Was this the kind of power the Huge Materia was capable of bestowing?

"Ho Ho Hoooo." Bugenhagen's chuckle came so suddenly that Cloud nearly dropped the new materia. He looked up at the old man. "Good," the old man said with a grin. "Now let's leave. Do you remember how to use the machine below?" Cloud nodded. "If you ever want to see the Materia, come here any time."

"Hm, hmm, hmm!"

Standing outside the Operations Room onboard the Highwind, Bugenhagen took a long, deep breath and sighed in satisfaction. "……Smells like machinery," he said with another sigh. He looked back at Cloud, who stood behind him. "I love this smell. Of course, I also love the smell of nature, too……"

The old man floated forward, his head turning this way and that, taking in the sights of the airship's interior. He nodded to himself, noting what a wonderful piece of machinery it was. The old man then turned and looked up at a door at the top of the steps. "Hm? Is the deck up there?" he asked. Cloud nodded. The old man grinned. "Then I'll be on the deck, just passing the time. I can feel the workings of the planet in the smell of the wind. I also feel the greatness of man's wisdom and knowledge in the smell of machinery…" The old man smiled wistfully. "Well, bye for now."

Cloud couldn't help but smile as the old man floated up the steps and disappeared on deck. Bugenhagen certainly did seem quite excited about this trip. He guessed the old man didn't get out of Cosmo Canyon that often anymore. Holograms were nice, but they did not match the real thing.

Cloud decided to let the old man enjoy his moments of freedom and went up to the bridge in search of Tifa. She had been unusually quiet since leaving Cosmo Canyon, and had gone straight up on deck without saying a word to anyone. Knowing that this was not like her, he wanted to speak to her, to find out what was troubling her.

He found Tifa in her usual spot on the bridge. The fighter stood gazing quietly out of the window, watching the ground rush by beneath them as the airship sped over Cosmo Canyon and headed northwest towards the Corel Plains. She still looked troubled, her brow creased in thought.

Cloud came to stand beside her. She glanced at him briefly, before returning her attention back to the rushing ground. Together they watched as the rocky cliffs gave way to the grassy fields of the Corel Plains. Up ahead they could see the desert that surrounded the Gold Saucer. The airship would cross the desert and head out into the ocean, heading for the Forgotten City.

As the airship began to make its way cross the vast desert, Tifa sighed heavily.

"I wonder what Aeris felt… when she was on that altar…?" she said quietly.

Cloud leaned one arm against the window and watched the desert sand roll by. He remembered Aeris kneeling on the altar in the depths of the Forgotten City, her hands folded and eyes closed in prayer. In his mind's eye she opened her eyes and looked at him, that soft smile touching her lips. And then… a dark wing descended.

The swordsman shook the image from his mind. "I'm sure she wanted to give her life for the planet…" he answered finally.

Tifa bit her lip and looked down at the floor. "Really? I wonder?" she said. She shook her head, her hair tumbling over her shoulders. "I don't think that's it at all. I think she didn't think she would die at all, but that she planned on coming back all along."

The fighter looked up again, looking past the desert and towards the horizon. "She always used to talk about 'Next time'. She talked about the future more than any of us… Although she never talked about it to us she must've had a rough life… I think Aeris looked forward to tomorrow and the future more than anyone..." The fighter sighed again. "…She must've had many dreams……"

Before Cloud could reply, something hit the airship. Or rather, they hit_ something._ Some unseen force blocked their way across the desert, and they had driven right into it without knowing. The airship was hurled sideways, throwing Cloud and Tifa and all those on board off their feet and skidding across the floor. The airship began to descend swiftly, heading towards the ground.

Cid was the first to his feet. He rushed to take the wheel, which was spinning wildly out of control without the pilot there to control it. He grabbed the wheel and held it firmly. It strained against him, but Cid held it firm and refused to let go. Gritting his teeth, he began to pull the wheel back to the left, trying to steady the ship. The engines heaved loudly, but steadily the airship began to regain its balance. It also stopped falling—thankfully—and returned to its level flight.

Red XIII climbed to his feet and shook his head. He looked around, and his eyes widened in alarm as he realised that Bugenhagen was not among them. With a cry he leapt up onto the main bridge and rushed out in search of his grandfather. Cait tried to call him back, but the hound did not listen to him. Cait hesitated, and then followed the hound out the door.

"What was that?" Cid demanded.

A loud, chilling roar echoed throughout the airship. It was so loud and so piercing that everyone had to cover their ears, lest their eardrums burst from the pitch.

Cloud opened his eyes and inched forward carefully towards the window. He looked out; trying to see what was making such an awful, soul-shaking noise.

Something began to rise up out of the desert sand. One look told Cloud instantly what it was, and the swordsman cursed violently. This was all they needed right now.

It was Weapon. This one was red, with enormously long arms that ended in claws so huge and powerful they made the Buster Sword look like a table knife. Weapon had been hiding beneath the desert sands around the Gold Saucer until now. The unseen force that had almost knocked the airship out of the air had been its barrier, which they had disturbed when they ran into it.

Weapon rose up and towered over the airship. It raised its two arms and screeched loudly, painfully. Once more Cloud and the others clamped their hands over their ears, trying to block out the awful sound.

"Weapon!?" Barret spat when he could hear again. "Aw %^$#!!" The ex-resistance leader struggled to his knees and crawled over to Cloud by the window. "Yo, Cloud!" he shouted. "What do we do?"

Cloud glared back at him, and then looked out at Weapon. This was not an ideal place to fight. The Highwind was not a battleship—it wasn't built for this kind of battle. If they had not run into its barrier, they would not have known Weapon was lying here at all. It had not bothered the people of Gold Saucer until now, so it likely wouldn't have done anything at all. Now that they had disturbed it, however, simply flying away was no longer an option. They would have to fight it, somehow. Perhaps Bugenhagen knew of a way……

Bugenhagen! Cloud cursed. The old man was up on deck. It was probable that the old man had been thrown overboard during the collision, but if not then he was a sitting duck for Weapon. Cloud pushed Barret aside and ran for the door, ignoring Barret's calls.

Cloud leaped down the stairs and onto the central deck. He ran across the bridge and reached for his Buster Sword. He hoped the old man was all right, and that he had somehow managed to stay onboard the airship. If he was still onboard, then there was a chance he could get him to safety, away from Weapon.

"Hey, Cloud!"

The swordsman skidded to a stop and spotted Yuffie clinging to the rail bordering the bridge. She was pale, but had managed to gather enough of herself to talk.

"What's going on?" the young ninja demanded. "There was this shaking, and then Red and Cait came running past, shouting something about the old guy. What's happening?"

"Where did they go?" asked Cloud.

The ninja pointed to the stairs. "Up there," she said. Cloud followed her finger. They had run on deck, it seemed. Perhaps the old man was all right after all.

"Come with me," Cloud ordered, and then hurried towards the steps.

Yuffie watched him go, and pulled out her Crystal Cross. "What, no please?" she asked, hurt, and then followed Cloud up the steps onto the deck.

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

_Whoo-hoo! Come on, all those who saw this coming, raise your hand! I can't remember if it's actually possible to fight Ruby Weapon at this point, but I figured it was a suitable time to have another Weapon battle. I'd been thinking hard about whether or not to include the Weapon battles, but I chose to include them._

_Slight confession: I have never actually BEATEN Ruby Weapon before… Heh, heh._


	27. Part Thirteen: Chapter 25

Final Fantasy VII: [3

**rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

There was a strong wind blowing when Cloud and Yuffie ran onto the outer deck. Sand was being blown up from the desert below and falling like rain upon the airship, scattered by the Highwind's propellers. Yuffie was forced to shield her eyes with her arm armour to keep from being blinded by the flying grains. Cloud stood in front of her, blocking the sand, and scanned the deck for signs of Red XIII and Cait Sith.

He spotted them at the other end of the deck. The two were standing close together and looking up at Weapon. Cloud strained his eyes. Just behind Cait Sith and his Mog he caught a flash of blue and white. Then Cait shifted and Cloud got a better look past him, and he sighed with relief. The old man was there, and he was all right. Cloud tried to call out to them, but the howling wind and the deafening roar of the airship's engines drowned out his voice.

Weapon looked down at the airship. The Highwind was about two thirds the size of Weapon, but when Weapon stretched up to its full height it seemed much smaller. Its tiny eyes, visible only through the red glow that radiated from within them, glanced left and right and then settled on the airship. Its 'gaze' turned to those standing on the deck. Weapon roared and raised one of it long, clawed hands, and then brought it down upon the airship.

Seeing the hand descend, Cloud darted forward. He drew his sword as he ran in front of Red XIII and Cait Sith and caught one of the claws with the blade of the Buster Sword. The strength of the blow was immense and almost forced Cloud onto his knees. Cloud lacked the physical strength to stop the blow entirely, but he managed to push it off course. The claw swerved out of the way of the others and hit the back end of the Highwind, tilting it back. The hand then slipped off the edge and slammed into the sand below.

The Highwind steadied itself and began to move away from Weapon. In the cockpit Cid was frantically turning the wheel and cursing loudly, shouting at the airship and telling it to move faster and bring some distance between them and the enemy.

Weapon's head moved, following the movements of the airship. It raised one large, flat foot and stepped forward. The ground trembled as the foot landed on the ground and sent clouds of sand shifting across the desert, much like a ripple in water.

It took only a single step for Weapon to catch up with the airship. There it stopped, lifted its head and roared. In the lower half of its torso was large hollow containing a laser. This hollow began to glow red, and sparks of red light flickered around it. These sparks were being drawn into the hollow, and the glow became brighter.

Cloud's eyes widened. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was coming next. He lowered his sword and turned to his friends. "Get back inside!" he ordered. "And tell Cid to move the ship away!"

Cait didn't need telling twice. He turned to Bugenhagen and began to usher the old man towards Yuffie, who was calling to them from the doorway. Cloud went with them, helping Bugenhagen along. It was just their luck that this happened when they had Red XIII's grandfather on the ship with them. If it was just them, they could fight Weapon and take it out.

Suddenly, Cloud stopped. He looked around. Speaking of Red XIII… where was he? The swordsman turned and looked back along the deck.

Red XIII was still standing at the far end of the deck; he had not moved. The hound's head was low, and his mouth was curled back into a ferocious snarl. He did not seem to notice that Cloud and the others had gone. In truth he did not even notice that Cloud had ran in front of them and blocked the falling claw. All of his attention was fixed on Weapon. His eye narrowed, and he growled angrily.

"Red XIII!" shouted Cloud. "Come on! Get over here!"

The hound either did not hear him or was ignoring him. He crouched down low, his furry chest brushing the ground. He raised his head and howled loudly into the wind. The sound of his howl was carried by the wind to all parts of the airship and was heard even by those inside, sounding as eerie and ghostly as the call of the planet.

"Oh dear," said Cait Sith, jumping onto Yuffie's shoulder. "I think seeing Ruby Weapon near his grandfather has made Red XIII go berserk." The cat shook his head. "I doubt he can hear anyone right now. Well, good luck."

Cloud turned sharply. "What do you mean, 'good luck'—hey!"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. Cait Sith had already jumped off the ninja's shoulder and was scurrying back inside the airship. His Mog went after him, waddling down the steps as fast as its short, fat legs could carry it. Cloud scowled and cursed under his breath. Damn them both!

He turned back to the deck just as Red XIII dropped his head, snarled, and then charged forward. The hound leaped and landed on the rails, but then he jumped again and disappeared over the edge of the airship.

"Red XIII!" Yuffie ran to the rails and leaned over. She caught sight of Red XIII as he dropped through the swirling sand and onto what was Weapon's kneecap. The hound landed and scrabbled wildly for a moment, and she feared he would lose his grip and fall completely. Then she saw the hound steady himself and begin to scramble his way upward.

Weapon, or as Cait had called it, _Ruby Weapon_ (likely due to the ruby-coloured hue of the metallic-like plating that covered its body) lowered its two outrageously long arms and placed the claws on the sand. The Highwind was climbing slowly and was in direct range of the monster's primary weapon. The air around the laser cannon in its torso began to waver hotly as the weapon prepared to fire.

A shot fired and struck Ruby Weapon squarely in the middle of its metallic forehead. The monster stepped back, startled. Its laser fired and a thin beam of red light burst out, heading for the airship. Luckily, the suddenness of the attack caused Ruby Weapon to lift its upper body a fraction at the last minute, and the red beam zipped over the airship, missing it. Cloud ran to the opposite end of the deck and looked out to see where it was heading.

It was heading for the Gold Saucer.

* * *

Business was being conducted as usual in the Gold Saucer. It was the only place that had not been affected by the fear and panic that was slowly spreading through the rest of the world. To the people that went there it was a refuge: a place where they could forget about their fears and their worries, if only for a little while.

Of course, it would all be different if they knew that Ruby Weapon was lurking in the desert that surrounded the theme park.

Dio, manager of the Gold Saucer, was the only one who about Ruby Weapon's presence. He had kept that information secret, for fear it would send panic rippling through his customers. A panicked populace was difficult to maintain and would likely cause more harm than good. Besides, Ruby Weapon had made no moves to attack. So Dio kept the monster's presence a secret, but monitored it closely.

He was standing in the arcade when the red beam shot past the Gold Saucer, thankfully missing the arcade. Due to the noise and the bright lights already flashing, very few actually noticed it. Those who did see the beam believed it was a part of the Gold Saucer's fireworks display, and so they cheered and clapped for more.

Dio saw the beam and knew immediately what it was. He frowned, and his brow creased. Had Ruby Weapon launched an attack at last? Deciding the situation needed close observation he slipped away from the celebrations and returned to the peace and quiet of his personal room where he could watch the events unfold.

* * *

Vincent raised his gun and fired a second shot at Ruby Weapon. This time he caught the monster in the side of its face, and Weapon's head was thrown sideways in the impact. The monster gave an angered roar took a step back away from the airship. It raised an arm to shield its face from further shots.

Seeing that the ray had missed the Gold Saucer, Cloud turned away from the rail and turned to Vincent, who was standing in the doorway. "Vincent!"

The gunman stepped silently out of the doorway. His cape flew back in the wind, and Cloud saw the small shape of Cait Sith standing behind him. The cat rubbed his nose and walked towards Cloud. "Thought you might need a hand," he said cheerfully.

Vincent lowered his gun and placed more bullets into the chamber. Clicking the barrel shut, he raised the gun and aimed once more at Weapon's head. The towering monster was still shielding its face with one hand. Its eyes peered out between the claws, red and menacing, searching for the source of the attack.

"This is no time for talking," he said gruffly. "Just kill it."

"Are you insane!" Yuffie exclaimed. She pointed up at the towering creature. "How can we possibly defeat that! It's, like, bigger than this rust bucket!"

The Highwind gave a deep groan and tilted back a little. It began to climb faster; Cid was pushing the engines hard to get them out of reach of Ruby Weapon's ray. Of course, it made little difference how far away they were. Weapon could catch up to them in a matter of steps.

Cloud looked up at the creature that the planet had created to be its ultimate defence. Ruby Weapon's whole body was covered in a thick hide that gleamed like metal. It was immensely huge and strong—his shoulder still hurt from blocking that earlier blow. Did they have a chance? Was it worth the risk? The answer was obvious even as he thought the question.

"We have no other choice," he said. Ignoring Yuffie's horrified look, he continued, "The Weapons are built to protect the planet from any threat that may cause it harm. We're human. It won't distinguish us from anyone else. If we don't kill it here, it might go after the people in the Gold Saucer next." The swordsman looked at Vincent. The gunman nodded—he had thought the same. Cloud turned his attention back to Weapon, his gaze travelling downwards.

"Besides," the swordsman added dryly, "I don't think Red XIII is going to come along willingly."

Yuffie followed Cloud and Vincent's gazes to Ruby Weapon. Red XIII was still there, scrambling across the creature's giant legs, attacking wildly and without control. The ninja sighed heavily. She reached behind her and unhooked her shuriken. "Well, fine," she said, "if you want to get yourselves killed, I'll just have to protect you."

That was just like her. It was also interesting to note that now she had something important to do, her motion sickness had disappeared.

The three fighters walked out to the centre of the deck. Cait Sith watched them go. He scratched his furry chin thoughtfully and then shook his head. This was one fight the cat would prefer to miss. Cloud, Vincent and Yuffie could handle this… probably. So Cait shouted good luck to his friends and then disappeared back inside the airship, pulling the heavy door shut behind him.

Realising that the attacks had stopped, Ruby Weapon lowered its arm. It took a half-step backward and then raised its other arm. Its spread its claws wide, and then the creature thrust out its arm at alarming speed and grabbed the airship in midflight.

The Highwind gave a violent shudder and lurched to the side as it was caught in Weapon's grasp. Ruby Weapon stretched its arm out, holding the airship at arm's length. The claws closed around the hull, narrowly missing the bridge where Cid and the rest of his friends still stood. The sudden lurch had knocked everybody else off their feet but Cid remained standing, fighting to regain control of his airship.

The former Shinra pilot turned the wheel as far as it would go, until it locked in place. His crew crawled and scrambled back to their posts and worked frantically, while the crew in the engine room tried to draw whatever power they could get from the engines. They had to break free of this grip!

The engines groaned and heaved, straining against the claws that were holding them in place. After a few moments of straining, a painful scraping and screeching sound could be heard. Hurriedly Cid unlocked the steering wheel and ordered his crew to stop. It was no use. They would damage their engines if they tried to break free.

The sudden tilt of the airship had also thrown those on the outer deck off their feet. Cloud, Vincent and Yuffie clung to the railings as the deck heaved. With the airship caught in one hand, Weapon stretched out its other hand and closed its claws around the rear of the airship. The rails of the outer deck bent against the strain but held firm, refusing to snap. The claws held the airship firmly, keeping it from moving.

When the airship finally stopped shuddering, Cloud let go of the rails and rose to his feet. He looked down the deck. One of the monstrous claws was nearby. In fact it would have impaled Vincent, if the gunman had not seen it coming and moved hurriedly out of the way. The other two were wrapped around the rear of the airship. The claw on deck was the only thing holding the other two in place. If that claw was cut, the other claws would slip away and Weapon would lose its grip.

The swordsman leaned over the side of the airship and looked down at the hull. The hull was in a similar position, with two claws gripping the upper half while the third was pressed underneath.

He turned his attention back to Ruby Weapon. The creature's pointed jaw hung open, and there was a low growl from deep within its throat. It was making no other moves to attack. Cloud guessed it was waiting for its ray to recharge so it could eliminate them in a single shot, unable to escape. He could not see Red XIII.

"Vincent. Yuffie." The two stood up and turned to him. Cloud held out his sword and pointed down the length of Weapon's arm. "Think you can run across that?"

Vincent also looked. The creature's arm was held out straight, and was wide enough at the wrists to act as a suitable path. The arm became smaller the closer to the shoulders it got, but it was probably still wide enough to walk on. The gunman looked back at Cloud, guessing what he was planning.

"Think you can cut through these things?" he asked in turn, gesturing to the thick claws that gleamed like platinum.

Cloud nodded his head. "Yeah." He pointed to a spot on the underside of the claw that rested on the deck. There was a deep graze about a quarter of the way through the claw, made when Cloud had blocked it and pushed it aside. It was superficial damage, nothing more, but it was damage nonetheless.

"Vincent, Yuffie," said Cloud again. "I want you two to go over there and distract it. Keep its attention focused on you. I don't want it to pay attention to anything I'm doing. Once the airship is free, get out of the area, and I'll finish it with Bahamut."

"You really think Bahamut can beat that thing all by itself?" Yuffie asked sceptically, still leaning over the rails. "And what about Red? He's still down there, being nuts."

"Get him out of the way any way that you can." Cloud hefted his sword onto his shoulder. "Now, go. We have to hurry."

Vincent did not waste time with a reply. He jumped up onto the rails and then onto Weapon's hand. Yuffie gave Cloud a mischievous grin and a mock salute before she jumped up after him. Together they began the long charge down the creature's arm.

Once the two were out of the way, Cloud approached the metallic claw. The claw pressed down heavily on the railing, which bent a little further. Cloud grasped the hilt with both hands. Once he had a firm, steady grip he raised the sword over his head, and then brought the blade down as hard as he could.

* * *

Vincent ran quickly down Ruby Weapon's arm, his cape fluttering wildly behind him. Yuffie was running close behind him—he could hear her panting, her boots clicking against the arm.

Ruby Weapon did not seem to notice them running along its arm. To Weapon, they were nothing more then insects scrabbling along, and as such not worth noticing. Vincent looked down towards the hole in its torso that contained its deadly laser. The hole was beginning to glow again as the monster began to recharge it. Once charged, Ruby Weapon would fire its laser, and this time it would not miss its target.

The gunman raised his gun and fired three rounds towards the laser. The shots hit their mark and exploded just inside the cavity's rim. A ball of flame burst out and enveloped the laser. These flames were then drawn towards Weapon, being sucked into the barrel of the ray. Vincent watched as the light of the flames flickered inside the cavity and then disappeared, extinguished.

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Don't get too close to that ray," he called over his shoulder. "You'll get sucked in."

"I don't plan on getting that close!" responded Yuffie. The ninja quickened her pace and artfully zipped past Vincent. She was much more agile than Vincent, and pulled away from him quickly.

They were close to Ruby Weapon's right shoulder. The monster shifted slightly, but the two maintained their balance and kept on running.

Below them, Red XIII lost his footing and slid down the plating that covered the monster's thigh. The hound scrabbled frantically, then dug in his claws and held on tight. His claws scraped across the plate before finally finding a hold, and the hound stopped just a few feet from the edge of the monster's knee. He hung there, his tail lashing wildly.

Yuffie was the first to reach the shoulder. She did not stop but turned sharply to the right, her boots skidding across the armour that covered Weapon's shoulder. She ran along the back of the monster's neck, heading for the other side.

Vincent stopped at the shoulder and raised his gun. He fired a series of rounds at Weapon's face, trying to draw its attention. Most of the bullets bounced off the hard plating surrounding its face, but one hit Weapon in its right eye. The eye burst on impact, and Weapon roared in anger and pain. Glowing green liquid leaked from the wound and poured down its face and neck.

Lowering his gun for a moment, Vincent looked at the liquid spilling out from the wound. His red eyes narrowed. Was that… mako? Of course, the gunman realised. The Weapons were made from the Lifestream, given life by the planet. The planet had used its own Lifestream to make these powerful Weapons, to use when it was in peril. It made sense that the creature's 'life blood' was the very energy of the planet.

Weapons head twisted painfully, and it roared in rage as more mako streamed out of its wounded eye. Yet, despite its pain, it did not loosen its hold on the Highwind. Its claws remained firmly around the airship's body, its arms refusing to budge.

Yuffie reached Weapon's left shoulder. Here she stopped and turned again, facing the left side of Weapon's face. The ninja ran forward and leaped up the plates of the creature's neck and face, making her way up to the top of its head. When she reached the top she stopped and looked down at her foe.

"Let's see you handle this!" shouted the ninja, raising her armoured arm.

An orb of green materia in her armour glowed brightly. The ninja clenched her fist and brought it down hard to deliver powerful punch to the central point of Ruby Weapon's head. The materia in her arm activated on contact, throbbing with inner light. The materia's power sent strong shockwaves pulsing downward throughout Weapon, beginning at its head and moving all the way down to its feet.

The shockwave did not stop with Weapon. Once they reached Weapon's feet they then moved into the ground, creating an intense, focused earthquake. The ground trembled violently, and clouds of sand rose up and swirled around the great creature.

Weapon itself was struggling to maintain its balance as the ground shook and trembled around it. The creature was so tall that its large, flat feet did little to help it balance itself. It took a slight step backwards, shifting its great bulk, in an effort to keep from falling over. Even with this great attempt to distract it from the airship, it still did not relinquish its hold, nor did it take its eyes off the airship.

On its head, Yuffie wobbled and tottered as the tremors continued. Finally losing her balance, she fell back. The tremors continued for a few seconds more, until they finally came to a stop.

Cautiously, the ninja opened her eyes. She looked down at the spot where she had unleashed the powerful Earth magic. There was a crack in the thick metal plating that covered Ruby Weapon's head, but that was the extent of the damage. The ninja sat back and sighed in exasperation. Ruby Weapon was tougher than she expected.

More gunshots were fired, and Yuffie quickly ducked down and shuffled back along Weapon's head. An icy breeze blew, and Yuffie turned to see an icy formation suddenly rise up on the other side. The ice stretched up and encased half of Ruby Weapon's face, covering its gaping mouth and its wounded eye. It stayed there for a few breath-stopping moments before it cracked and shattered, breaking away.

The ice did even less damage than the Earth magic. All it left was a few tiny cracks in the side of its face: superficial damage, nothing more. And still it did nothing to distract Weapon's attention from the airship, or from preparing its primary weapon.

The glow in Ruby Weapon's chest was steadily growing in intensity—it would not be long before the ray was ready to fire. It didn't seem like anything could distract Weapon from its task, or make it relinquish its hold. Vincent turned and looked over at the airship, still stuck in Ruby Weapon's hands. He hoped Cloud could free the airship before it fired.

* * *

Cloud, meanwhile, was still on the outer deck trying to free the airship from Weapon's grasp.

The claws were much harder to cut through than he had first expected. He had landed several blows now, some of them landing directly in the graze he had made earlier when Weapon attacked. Yet he had made little progress in cutting through, and in many instances the blade simply bounced off. The sword had just about managed to make it halfway through the claw—whatever substance these claws were made of, they were a match even for the Buster Sword.

Cloud raised his sword and brought it down upon the claw. The blade slid into the graze and cut another two inches into the claw—the best damage he had made so far. His arms were beginning to burn from the effort. Through the corner of his eye, Cloud could see Weapon's ray cannon begin to glow again. Realising he had little time, Cloud fought against the burning pain in his arms and lifted his sword high. He brought it down with as much strength as he could muster, and struck the claw.

His effort was finally rewarded. A crack appeared in the claw and spread down the rest of the claw's width. There was a moment's pause, and then the front end of the claw snapped off. The airship gave a shudder and Weapon's hand slid loose. The two remaining claws around the side of the airship lost their grip and fell away, releasing the back end of the airship.

Ruby Weapon roared in rage as its arm dropped back to its side. It was impossible to tell if it felt the pain of losing one of its 'fingers'—the only expression its fierce face seemed capable of expressing was anger. The monster raised its hand and looked down at the shortened stub where its finger had once been. It roared again.

Without pausing, Cloud turned and ran back along the deck. In a single bound he leaped onto the roof of the compound. He ran along the hull, heading for the hand that was gripping the other half of the Highwind.

As Cloud ran, he looked out across the desert towards Weapon. Now that its arm was free, Ruby Weapon was turning his attention to the three attackers that were moving across its body. He watched as Vincent jumped off the monster's shoulder and grabbed hold of its hand as it tried to sweep him off. The gunman clung to the claws, pulled himself up, and then fired four icy bullets at the monster's face.

Like before, the ice exploded on impact and spread out across Weapon's face, sealing it in a layer of chilling crystal. Weapon roared. The vibrations of its voice caused the ice to break apart. The ice fell away, melting into water as it fell towards the sand.

Weapon's hand drew near to its left shoulder, and as Vincent jumped off to return to the 'safety' of the unmoving plates, Yuffie took her turn and leaped onto the hand. The ninja released her Crystal Cross, and the shuriken zipped quickly through the air. Riding the air currents, it zipped past Weapon's wounded eye. The crystal spikes cut into its face, making small but definite grazes in its plating. It followed the swirling currents and came to the other side of Weapon's face, this time grazing its cheek and jawline, before finally returning to the ninja's hand as she leaped off the arm and onto Weapon's right shoulder.

Cloud turned his attention away from the battle and back to the task ahead. He did not need to worry; Vincent and Yuffie could handle themselves fine.

Weapon's other hand was just ahead. Two of the claws had closed themselves around the hull just behind the bridge. Luckily, the claws had missed the airship's propellers when they latched on. Unfortunately this made the wind around the hull stronger, and more than once Cloud came close to losing his footing. Like the outer deck, the claws had made a dent in the airship's hull, but it was holding out rather well. Cloud grasped the hilt of his Buster Sword, and as he neared the first of the two claws he twisted his body and spun, swinging his sword.

The blade struck the edge of the claw. The added momentum caused by the spin was enough for the blade to cut straight through. It sliced through at an angle and a large sliver of the claw slipped across the hull. It struck the remaining claw, making it lose its grip on the hull. Both claws slid and scraped across the hull, leaving ugly scrape marks in its otherwise undamaged surface. The claws dropped off the edge and released the airship.

With its impediment gone, the Highwind jerked backwards. It moved so suddenly that Cloud lost his balance and was forced to cling to the roof to keep from sliding off along with the claws. The Highwind rolled slightly before steadying itself and beginning to pull away from Weapon at an upward angle.

Seeing the airship pulling away, Ruby Weapon unleashed its primary weapon. There was a brief pause before the ray opened fire, sending a second thin beam of red light streaming after the airship. This beam was much thinner than the first one, for the weapon was not fully charged and as such did not carry the same strength. It carried the same heat, though, and Cloud was forced to shield his eyes as it zipped by. The beam continued on. It would miss the Gold Saucer, as well.

Ruby Weapon was so outraged that it had missed its target a second time that it lifted its head and roared in rage. The sound was so piercing that Vincent and Yuffie, in close proximity to its head, were forced to cover their ears.

The monster raised its giant arms above its head. The sudden movement caused Yuffie to slip and topple forward. She slid down the front of Weapon's shoulder plate, scrabbling for a handhold. Thinking quickly, she thrust out her Crystal Cross. The crystal spikes scraped along the metal before finally digging in enough to gain a hold, and she slowed to a stop about a metre away from the edge of the plate. She hung there, clinging to the crystal spikes.

Red XIII was halfway up Ruby Weapon's torso when the monster lifted its arms. As it stretched up, the hound lost his own footing and fell back. He dropped quickly and landed heavily on Weapon's knee where he had started. He did not stop there but rolled rapidly down the metal plating, until, finally, he rolled over the edge and fell down to the sand below. He fell into a dune and disappeared beneath the sand.

Weapon closed its claws and then thrust its arms downwards. Its fists plunged deep into the sand. The ground gave a low rumble and the sand shifted, as though something was stirring beneath it. The airship, now safely out of reach above Weapon, turned to watch.

The sand quivered and then suddenly spurted upwards in two large columns. From them emerged two equally large tendrils: silver in colour, more than two metres wide and fifteen metres long. The tendrils gave a sharp flick, and the rest of the sand fell back to the ground. One tendril flicked back and hit the ground, making it tremble.

Inside the Highwind, Cid, Tifa, Barret and Cait Sith watched as the tendrils stretched up to their full height—their tips waving wildly outside the glass.

"That…" said Cid. "Is not good."

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

_I didn't plan for this battle to extend to another chapter, but I guess it has. Writing up this battle is difficult, since I haven't done this one myself, and all the videos I've seen have had Ruby Weapon stopped and pummelled with Knights of the Round. So I apologise for any inaccuracies._


	28. Part Thirteen: Chapter 26

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

When Red XIII opened his eyes, he found that, somehow, the scenery had changed. He was surrounded by sand on all sides. It was in his fur, his eyes, and when he opened his mouth to call out to his friends it fell into his mouth. The hound coughed and gasped for breath. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was running out onto the deck of the Highwind and seeing his grandfather gazing up at the sky. He remembered running towards Bugenhagen, and then following his gaze… Twisting his body into a direction he believed to be upwards, he began to scrabble furiously.

Finally his head broke through the surface of the sand pile. As air rushed across his nose he inhaled deeply. Once his lungs were full he began to scrabble again, wriggling and writhing until his body follows his head out of the pile. Red XIII shook himself down, shaking off the sand that covered his fur.

A shadow fell over him. The hound looked up and gasped. In the air above him, descending rapidly, was a large metal foot. Without hesitating to think, Red XIII leaped out of the way. The foot slammed into the ground a moment later, flattening the sand pile and sending a cloud of sand swirling into the air.

The impact of the foot's landing caused the ground to quake, and Red XIII lost his footing and slid down another, smaller sand pile. When he finally regained his balance, the hound stood and looked upward.

The sight he saw made him want to bury himself back in the sand. The monstrous foot that almost squashed him like a pancake belonged to Ruby Weapon, the most monstrous creature Red XIII had ever seen. Flashes of light—gunshots, probably—appeared at regular intervals around the monster's face. He saw the airship, too, hovering some distance away.

As he watched, the monster opened its jaws wide. The inside of its mouth glowed, and then a powerful jet of flames suddenly burst out into the air. The flame swept across the sky and headed for the Highwind. Unable to rise or descend in time, Cid locked the forward engines and then turned the airship sharply to the left. In response the Highwind's back end swerved to the right. The stream of flames fired past, so close that the flames almost scorched the rear propellers.

The flames stopped coming, and Ruby Weapon closed its jaws. Through its one remaining eye it saw that it had missed for a third time and roared in rage. The two tall spires sticking out of the sand began to thrash and whip about in all directions. They slammed into the ground, destroying dunes and covering the ground in a thick cloud of sand. Through the smothering haze Red XIII caught a glimpse of something large and silver-white heading his way, and once more he rolled out of the way before he was crushed beneath the thrashing spire.

Ruby Weapon was so outraged by its third failure to destroy the airship that it no longer had any control over the two spires, even though they were a part of its body. The spires moved of their own accord, striking anything that came within reach. They did not seem to make a distinction between the ground or its own body, for the spires even whipped back and struck Ruby Weapon's torso with powerful blows.

Fed up of standing around doing nothing, Red XIII dropped to a crouch and darted across the sand. He leaped as high as he could and landed on the nearest of the two spires. He tried to dig in his claws, but the spire was so smooth that they slid right off. Red XIII dropped back to the sand. He leaped again and this time tried to close his jaws around it, but his teeth too slid straight off. With a growl the hound leapt out of the way again. It was impossible: he could not get a grip on them.

The two spires continued to thrash and flail wildly, still out-of-control. The Highwind was just out of their reach, but those still on Ruby Weapon were not as fortunate. Vincent hurriedly ducked behind the back of Weapon's neck as the tip of one spire came perilously close to its shoulder. It missed, but just barely.

Yuffie was still dangling from Weapon's shoulder, clinging to her shuriken. The other spire then whipped up and struck Ruby Weapon in the side of its arm. The impact shook the shuriken loose, and Yuffie dropped fast towards the sand below. The spire, still moving, gave another sharp crack and struck her as she dropped. The ninja was whipped to the side, heading towards the sand at high speed.

The ninja hit the ground hard. She lost hold of her shuriken as she landed, and the weapon rolled across the sand until it stopped, half-buried. Yuffie, too, rolled across the ground, with a cloud of sand rising around her. She rolled at least fifteen metres before finally coming to a stop not far from where her shuriken lay.

Seeing the young ninja's fall, Red XIII hurried over to her. "Are you all right!" he asked, his eyes worried.

For a moment the ninja did not move, and Red XIII started to fear the worst. Then the ninja twitched, coughed, and shakily climbed to her knees. She coughed again, bringing up the sand that she had swallowed. The hound put a paw on her back and patted her gently. He heard her say something, and he leaned in close to hear.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath between coughs. "Try that on me, will ya? Just try it again—I promise you'll regret it."

Red XIII sat back on his haunches and sighed heavily. She was all right, it seemed.

The sound of gunshots came from above, and Red XIII raised his head. He could not see Vincent from where they were, but he guessed that the gunman was trying to draw the monster's attention. His thoughts were confirmed when Ruby Weapon turned its head away from the airship and sent another blast of flame over his shoulder. The hound drew a breath; he hoped Vincent was all right.

Yuffie heard the shots too and looked up dazedly. When she saw the flames her mind cleared in a flash. Crying out, she grabbed hold of Red XIII and pulled him to her.

"Red XIII! We need to get out of here now!" she said. "Cloud told us to distract Weapon long enough so that he could free the airship, and then he was going to pummel it with summons! So come on, let's move it already, before we get pummelled, too!"

A shadow fell over them both. Quickly the two pushed away from each other, just as the tip of one of the spires slammed into the sand between them. Yuffie rolled and snatched her shuriken up out of the sand, and then began to run as fast as she could away from the spires. Red XIII ran close behind her, though he still had no idea what was going on.

Vincent meanwhile, was still on Weapon's upper body. He had managed to draw the monster's attention onto him for now, and had even managed to damage the plating of its face after a few well-aimed shots.

Weapon lifted its large shoulders and forward. The sudden movement caught Vincent off-guard and caused him to lose his balance. He tried to grab hold of the ridges of the monster's neck, but they were just out of his reach. With nothing else to hold onto, he fell off Weapon's shoulder and began hurtling towards the ground at speed.

A dark, purplish light swept over him as he fell. The dark light moved up and over his body, growing until it covered him entirely. Inside that light, his body began to grow and twist, forming into the shape of a new creature the others had not seen before.

It was a haunting creature. The aura it gave off was chilling, almost as cold and terrifying as the aura given off by the Weapons. In time, Cloud and the others would learn that there was a horrifying link between this creature and the Weapons, but for now all that was known about it was the creature's name: Chaos.

The creature was still Vincent, and yet it was not Vincent. It had Vincent's face, but the face was pale, almost deathly, and carried a deep malice. Vincent's calm red eyes had been replaced by eyes that were bright yellow and that glowed with an unearthly aura. The gunman's cloak and clothing had gone, replaced by a skin-tight leather outfit that had various pieces of armour attached to it. Two large, leathery wings, frayed at the edges, protruded from Chaos's back. Finally, in Chaos's hand, there was a large, three-barrelled shotgun.

Chaos stretched out his wings. They caught the wind and slowed his descent long before he reached the ground. Using the air current, Chaos swerved away from the ground and darted across the sand away from Weapon. He turned again in midflight, heading back to the sky.

Seeing him flying away, Weapon opened its mouth and unleashed another powerful stream of flames. Chaos turned sharply, moving easily out of the flames' path. The stream continued on past Chaos and would have hit the airship if Cid had not seen them coming and quickly moved the Highwind out of the way.

Cloud shielded his face with his arm as the heat of the flames blew over the airship. The flames made the air hot and made his throat burn. The heat passed, and he caught a glimpse of Chaos as he lowered his arm. Chaos was diving towards Weapon at speed, his gun held out in front of him. The winged beast fired a shot at Weapon. The bullet struck Weapon in the shoulder and tore right through its armour. A large, gaping hole was left in the armour where the bullet struck, oozing more greenish liquid. Weapon craned its head forward and tried to snap at Chaos as he flew by. Chaos, too quick for it, flew swiftly out of the way.

Movement caught his eye, and Cloud glanced over his shoulder. He relaxed when he saw that it was Tifa, coming out to check on him.

"How's it going?" she asked, standing beside him.

Cloud didn't answer her. He turned his eyes back to the battlefield. Chaos was diving again, this time at Weapon's rear. He fired a second shot and hit Weapon's left arm. The plates covering its arm were blasted away by the shot and fell towards the sand. Whatever those bullets were made of, Weapon's armour could not defend against them. Cloud sheathed his sword. It was time to end it.

He looked down at his gauntlet. The Bahamut materia was glowing slightly, radiating a deep red light. Cloud could feel Bahamut's rage, its eagerness, its desire to fight. It could sense a powerful, worthy foe nearby. The dragon longed to break free of its realm and fight this worthy foe.

Tifa followed his gaze. She placed her fingertips lightly over the materia's smooth surface. It glimmered at her touch. The Neo Bahamut materia, lying next to it, also began to glow. It shuddered slightly in its slot, as though trying to call itself out.

"I'm sure they can handle it," she said, answering Cloud's unspoken thoughts.

Cloud clenched his fist. Tifa was right. Bahamut, Neo Bahamut, and the rest of the summons they had gathered on their journey, were also born from the planet just like the Weapons. With the summons at their side, they had the chance to defeat Weapon. Cloud lowered his hand and stepped forward to the edge of the deck. "Tifa," he began, "tell Cid to move the airship away. I don't want the Highwind to get caught up in this."

"Sure." Tifa ran back across the deck. She stopped by the door and looked back at him. She opened her mouth, but then closed it again. This was hardly the time, and she couldn't find the words right then. She would have to wait for another time. Instead she smiled, and then ran back inside the airship.

When she was gone, Cloud turned all his attention back to the battle at hand. During his conversation with Tifa, Chaos had managed to land more hits into Ruby Weapon's armour; its torso was dotted with holes. One of the enormous plates that protected it shoulders had been shot clean off—that now lay broken on the sand below.

Ruby Weapon fired yet another blast of fire as Chaos drew near. Chaos swerved easily out of the way and headed upward. He flew close to the airship. His head turned upward and he saw Cloud standing on the deck, looking down at him. The swordsman caught his yellow-eyed gaze and nodded. Chaos understood Cloud's silent message and sheathed his gun. He turned away from Weapon and dived down toward the sand, searching for Yuffie and Red XIII.

With Chaos out of range, Weapon raised its head. Its one good eye fell on the airship, and directly met Cloud's gaze. A deep, cold shiver ran down Cloud's spine. The fear generated by these Weapons was unreal, almost paralysing. Cloud had heard Cid and the others tell of their encounter with the draconic Weapon back in Mideel, but he had not believed the fear could be so… intense.

Cloud scowled and shook his head vigorously to shake away the fear. Weapon was indeed monstrous and powerful, but it was not entirely invulnerable. The holes in its armour were proof enough of that. And he would drive that point home by using the planet's own power to destroy it: the power of the summons.

Cloud inhaled deeply, and released it in a slow, calming breath. He raised his fist, clenched it tight. The Bahamut materia began to glow as Cloud called upon its power. Pulsing red-white light began to form around his gauntlet and fall in waves down his arm. The materia began to shudder within its slot, as though the materia itself was straining to be released.

The droplets of light slowed until finally they ceased to fall. The light's course then reversed, being drawn _upwards_ around his fist. Cloud waited until all the light had gathered before he thrust out his hand and unleashed all of the pent-up energy.

The light fired like a bullet and whooshed through the air. It moved at immense speed and headed towards Weapon's face. Ruby Weapon sat it coming and moved its head to the side, allowing the light to zip past. The light continued onward, flying through the air. It grew in size, twisting and taking shape. The light flashed brightly and then vanished in an instant, leaving in its wake a monstrous black dragon.

Bahamut: the legendary dragon. People told tales of this great and powerful dragon, said to be the most powerful of the summons created by the planet. Scientists conducting research into the summon materias theorised that there were many different variations of Bahamut. In truth there were many great and powerful dragons that fell into the Bahamut class. The one that Cloud had summoned was thought to be the original version of Bahamut: the two-winged black dragon.

Cloud had in his possession two other types of Bahamut materia. He had Neo Bahamut, the four-winged dragon, positioned ready next to its partner. The newest addition, provided by the Huge Materia, was currently locked up in the supply case they had brought with them onto the airship. This dragon, Bugenhagen said, was known as Bahamut ZERO.

Bahamut ZERO was a dragon with _six_ wings, and was the most powerful of the dragon summons—at least, of those that had been revealed. Bugenhagen had said that he believed there to be other dragon summons that were stronger than Bahamut ZERO, but that their existence had been kept secret 'for the public's safety'. If that were the case, it did not take a genius to figure out who had covered up the existence of these more powerful dragons.

Bahamut spread his large wings. They gave a loud 'snap' as they opened and caught the air. The dragon drew his arms and legs close to his chest and tilted his wings, turning sharply in midflight and speeding back towards Weapon.

Ruby Weapon tried to turn its head, but since its arms were buried in the sand it was not able to turn fully. It caught only a glimpse of the black dragon as he swooped in and slammed its body hard into its back.

The impact caused Weapon to pitch forward, placing all its weight on its arms. Those same arms acted as a counterbalance, taking the full force of the blow and preventing Weapon from being bowled over. That fact seemed to frustrate Bahamut, and so the dragon flapped his wings and pulled back from Weapon. After flying back about fifteen metres the dragon landed on the sand and charged forward. He roared piercingly before clamping his jaws around Weapon's arm and refusing to let go.

Ruby Weapon turned his head and unleashed a thin stream of flames at Bahamut. The flames swept over the dragon's head. Bahamut roared in pain and released his grip, stepping back away from the flames. He shook his head back and forth, trying to shake off the flames.

Once he had finished shaking off the flames, Bahamut dropped his upper body close to the ground and lifted his tail high. Bahamut then swung his body around and slammed his tail into Weapon's side. The armour covering Weapon's back cracked and splintered and small chunks of metal went falling down to the ground below. Despite that, Weapon only seemed more irritated than in pain, and it opened its mouth to shoot another blast of fire.

There was a second bright flash of light, and something large and heavy slammed into Weapon's chest before it could fire.

It was Neo Bahamut, summoned by Cloud to aid his comrade in bringing the monstrous Weapon down. This dragon was much larger and more heavily built than Bahamut, with much of his strength lying in his huge, muscular torso and powerful hind legs. Bahamut relied on his speed and agility to surprise and gain advantage over his prey, but Neo Bahamut preferred to rely on sheer brute force. Aside from his heavier bulk, he was further identified by his thick, mud-red scales and his four large wings that beat in almost perfect unison as the dragon pushed his head and shoulders into Weapon's chest, trying to force it back.

Not even Ruby Weapon could properly brace itself against the blow. Neo Bahamut had slammed into it with all the force that he could muster. As with Bahamut, it was only because Weapon's arms were buried so deep into the sand that the creature wasn't thrown onto its back.

Seeing that he was getting nowhere, Neo Bahamut drew back away from Weapon. His wings—with a wingspan of more than ten metres from wingtip to wingtip—spread wide. Beating his wings, the dragon rose into the air. He soared up to the sky, flying past the Highwind, before he turned and fell into a steep dive at Weapon.

The dragon lifted his body at the last moment, pulling his body back into level flight just over Weapon's head. The dragon kept on moving and flew over the top of Weapon. Reaching out with his feet, the dragon grabbed hold of Weapon's shoulders and held on tight as he flew onward, preparing to rise back into the sky.

Weapon gave a roar and lurched backward, yanked roughly back by Neo Bahamut as he tried to drag the creature off its feet. The dragon's strength was immense, and even though Weapon's arms were still in the sand it was steadily being lifted up off the ground. Bahamut tried to help his draconic comrade by slamming his tail repeatedly against Weapon's arms.

The continuous beating gradually began to weaken Ruby Weapon's hold on the ground. The two spires quit flailing mindlessly and locked into place, pointing straight up into the sky. Suddenly the monster's arms shuddered and then shot swiftly upwards. In turn, the spires sank rapidly into the sand and re-emerged as Weapon's arms came out of the sand. Neo Bahamut roared in triumph and beat his wings harder, ripping Weapon out of the ground and carrying him up into the sky.

It was truly a remarkable sight, as the great dragon dragged Ruby Weapon off the ground and carried it into the sky. Trapped in the dragon's vicelike grip, there was little Ruby Weapon could do to stop the dragon besides dangle.

Only once did Weapon try to break free, striking out at Neo Bahamut with its long, flailing arms. The first slender spire struck the dragon in the thigh and bounced off his thick scales, leaving nothing more than a nick in his hide. As Weapon prepared to strike the dragon's belly with its other arm, Bahamut suddenly dived in and locked his jaws around the monster's wrist, yanking it up. Now both dragons worked together to lift the beast up into the air.

The two dragons carried Weapon up and up, higher than the Highwind, and even higher than the rugged mountains that bordered the Corel Plains. Cloud, Yuffie and Red XIII (carried by Chaos back onto the Highwind before the summoning of Neo Bahamut) watched in wide-eyed fascination, unable to believe the overwhelming power that the Bahamut dragons held.

The dragons carried Weapon higher and higher and then, when they could lift the beast no further… they let go.

Weapon fell from the sky. Its arms trailed uselessly behind it, unable to do anything to stop itself from plummeting to the ground. A loud rumble, much like the roll of thunder, filled the air. Ruby Weapon's good eye flicked towards the ground that was zooming in rapidly.

The sand was rising, swelling upwards as something large and powerful began to make its way out from deep beneath the surface of the planet. Eventually the sand fell away, revealing the being that Red XIII had summoned to help deliver the final touches to this battle with Ruby Weapon: Titan.

Titan stepped out of the sand and looked up. Weapon was descending rapidly, heading straight for him. Titan clenched his enormous fist and swung it upward just as Weapon came within range. There was a loud 'THWACK' as Titan's fist connected with Weapon's head. His fist shattered the armour protecting Weapon's head, and pieces of broken metal fell in all directions. Titan raised his other fist and delivered a second crushing blow to Weapon's torso, sending the beast flying across the sand.

Weapon landed heavily and rolled across the sand. More plates of metal broke away from its body as it rolled over and over. Finally it came to a stop. It lay in the sand, its body twitching.

Overhead, the two dragons circled the skies. As Ruby Weapon started to climb to its feet, the dragons took up positions on either side of the battlefield and prepared to deliver the final blow.

Each dragon opened his mouth. A glow began to form in the reaches of their throats, as the dragons began to draw up on the energy within them to unleash upon Weapon. Their heads quivered as the energy grew stronger, until the very air around them began to waver. When they had finally drawn up enough energy the two dragons roared and unleashed their attacks together.

Two brilliant beams of light burst from the open mouths of the two dragons. Like lasers they fired down towards the ground, so intense and powerful the air practically vibrated with the concentration of energy. One beam zipped past the Highwind and sent it reeling sideways. Those standing on the Highwind's deck almost fell off the airship, and had to hold onto the railing. The two beams continued on past the airship until they struck Weapon with full force.

The explosion that followed was so powerful that it sent a shockwave of hot air and sand hurtling in all directions. It was visible even from the Gold Saucer, where Dio was still watching the battle unfold. It would be discovered later that the shockwave spread out in a radius of at least ten miles, and more powerful than any mako bomb Shinra had developed.

The Highwind was caught up in the blast. It spun out of control as Cid failed to keep a hold on it, and tumbled rapidly towards the ground. The airship was caught by Titan moments before it could hit the ground. Titan held onto the airship until the winds passed and the air became calm once again.

The sand began to settle. Everyone on the Highwind, those in and out, watched in silent anticipation. Even the dragons remained still, their eyes fixed on the sand.

There was movement within the sand. A large shadow rose up out of the raining sand, and for a brief moment everybody's hearts sank in dismay. Weapon stepped out of the sand—it was still standing.

Weapon's body had been severely damaged by the blast. Most of its armour had now broken away, and the flesh that had been left bare was charred and black. Liquid mako was oozing out of the many wounds that had opened up all over its body. The monster opened its mouth to roar, but only a hoarse whisper came out. Its mouth fell open, and more mako seeped out from between its jaws.

Red XIII finally dared to rise to his feet and peered out over the deck. "Is… is it defeated?" he asked. Nobody answered him: their eyes were fixed on Weapon.

As they all watched, tendrils of steam began to slowly rise from Weapon's body. The monster gave another strangled roar before its head fell back and its eye fixed blankly on the overhead sky. The two dragons, seeing that they were no longer needed, glowed white before vanishing into thin air. Titan released the airship, and he too vanished.

The steam rose faster, growing thicker. More tendrils, the same colour as the mako that dripped from its mouth and wounds, also began to rise into the air. Ruby Weapon's broken body began to glow brightly before abruptly vanishing, returning Weapon to the planet from where it was born.

There was a long moment of silence following the demise of Ruby Weapon. Cloud let out a long sigh; behind him, Yuffie dropped to her knees. Though they had fought many difficult battles during the course of their journey—including against the inhuman Jenova—this had been one of the most terrifying. This had been a creature created by the planet itself _specifically_ designed to destroy all threats to the planet.

And yet they had won.

It also proved one thing: the Weapons were not indestructible. It was possible to defeat them, though it would take all the powers the planet had to offer to do it.

Cloud turned from the battlefield and leaned against the rails. His hands were trembling, his heart racing in his chest. They had defeated Weapon. They were strong enough to defeat Weapon. And if they were strong enough to defeat Weapon, then they were strong enough to face their ultimate enemy: Sephiroth.

The swordsman gripped the railings tight, forcing the shaking of his hands to cease. When he was sure he had control of himself again, he pushed himself away from the rails and strode across the deck. Stopping by the door, he looked back over his shoulder.

"Come on," he said coolly, "we've wasted enough time here. Let's get going."

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

_*breathless* Finally… finished it… Man, that was a very tough battle to write, yet I'm surprised I managed to write it in this much detail. I'd only intended this to be a one-chapter battle, yet I managed to fill two whole chapters._

_*looks at her notes* Let's see… Aw man, I have another one coming up! WHY DID I DECIDE TO INCLUDE THESE! I'm a sucker for punishment, I really am. XD_


	29. Part Thirteen: Chapter 27

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

The rest of their flight to the northern continent was quiet. No other Weapons showed up, and there also wasn't any sign of Shinra, which was an added bonus.

Cait reported that all was quiet in Shinra at the moment, with all the suits—including Rufus—at a loss of what to do. Their attempt to destroy Meteor had failed miserably. In Midgar, fear was swiftly turning to panic. The company was tied up just keeping the citizens in line to worry about anything else. It was unlikely that Shinra would try to come after them now, so they were free to do almost anything they wanted.

They parked the Highwind outside of the forest that led to Bone Village. Cait offered to lead the way, but they all remembered the cat's last attempt, and so they declined. They reached the village in good time and headed into the Sleeping Forest.

They had no choice but to walk the long trek through the forest. The Forgotten City lay deep within the mountains, at the end of a long, narrow path. With the Sleeping Forest and the rugged ground it was impossible for the Highwind to take them any nearer. If they had Chocobos the trek would have been easier, but they had no time to go out and catch one. With Meteor drawing ever closer, time was of the essence.

Red XIII stayed close to his grandfather during their long trek through the now awakened Sleeping Forest. He didn't say it out loud, but he was worried about Bugenhagen. In his youth, Bugenhagen must have made many journeys like this, and seen much of the world. But he was not so young now, and the hound feared for his health. Bugenhagen, though, would only scold him teasingly if he spoke up, and so the hound kept his worries to himself. His eyes, however, stayed on Bugenhagen.

The old man did not seem to be at all fazed by the long walk through the forest. In fact he felt energised, more than he had felt in a long time. He looked around at the Sleeping Forest with fascination, taking in every sight and sound, scent and touch. He was forming his own theories as to why the forest was able to 'go to sleep'; theories he shared quite willingly with the others. Every so often he would spot a plant or tree that he had not seen outside of his library and wander off to examine it. And, every so often, Cloud had to go after him and usher him along.

They came out of the Sleeping Forest and approached the Forgotten City. A sombre silence fell over the group as they neared it. Even Bugenhagen fell silent.

They entered the city.

Nothing had changed. The Forgotten City was exactly as it had been the day they first came here: that ill-fated day when Aeris lost her life to Sephiroth. There were the same broken down buildings, the same three paths leading into each part of the city. The left path went deeper into the city, while the right one led into the mountains. It was the central path that they took. This path led to the Forgotten City's last and biggest secret: the true entrance to the City of the Ancients.

As before, the entrance remained unchanged. The giant shell stood tall by the shore of the lake, surrounded by the same eerie, glowing trees. The lake's surface was perfectly still, for not a breath of wind blew in this place.

Though they tried not to look at it, their eyes were drawn to the water. One by one their heads turned and gazed into the shallow, crystal clear water. Their reflections gazed back at them, unwavering. In the middle of the lake the water became deeper and darker. It was there that Cloud had brought Aeris after her death. They all remembered those final moments when Cloud lowered her gently into the water to begin her journey back to the planet. It was the last they ever saw of her.

She had seemed so peaceful after her death. It was a cliché thought, but they had all truly felt as though Aeris had not died, but had simply fallen into a long sleep. Of course they knew that was not true. Aeris was dead, and there was no changing that fact. Her sleep was that of death, and her lively, smiling face was forever lost except in their memories of her. Those memories had all resurfaced now, as plain and clear as their reflections in the water.

Yet even in death, the Ancient appeared to have a level of influence over them. Remembering her, they could not be sad for long. The words and feelings that she had left behind… One by one the others smiled to themselves and turned their eyes back to the building.

The only one who didn't smile was Cloud. Unlike the others, he could not bring himself to smile when he thought of Aeris. All he could feel was the pain and the guilt her loss brought to him. He had been unable to save her—he would have killed her himself if the others had not stopped him. How could he smile in memory of her, when he was in part to blame for her death?

Would she ever forgive him?

Cloud tore his eyes away from the water. There would be time to think about that another time, after this was all over. Until then there were other things to think about. He focused his mind on these, and followed his friends into the building.

Unfortunately they were not able to reach the real City of the Ancients. The radiant blue staircase that led underground to the real city was no longer there. It had vanished, as though it had never existed. All that was left was the spiral slope leading up to, well, nothing. It was only Aeris's presence that had revealed the stairway before, and now that there were no Cetra left in the world, that doorway would remain sealed forever. Cloud wasn't too disappointed of that. At least this way, he told himself, the secrets of the Ancients would remain secret.

They left the giant shell and returned to the main city. For a while they wandered until they came upon something that they had missed during their first exploration of the city.

It was an audience chamber of sorts, quite expertly hidden behind one of the shell-like buildings that lay in ruins on the west side of the city. The chamber was carved into the side of the rising cliffs and had no roof; its entirety was left open to the elements. It rose in three tiers, with a stone staircase linking the upper and central tiers. The stairs leading to the lower tier had long since broken away. The shadow of the cliff blocked out most of the sunlight, and yet the chamber was filled with light. The light was coming from a pillar standing in the middle of the chamber, and it was here that Bugenhagen's eyes were drawn.

"This is…"

The pillar was about twenty-five feet high, as high as the platform of the upper tier. A large stone slab rested on the very top of the pillar, surrounded by a barrier of winding stone branches. Standing in the middle of the slab was a dais made of what looked like coral. Its branches curved and wound around the biggest crystal Cloud had ever seen, resting in the dais. It was this crystal that was emitting the light, filling the chamber with a cool, gentle light.

"Yes… exactly…"

Bugenhagen left Cloud and the others and floated forward. He passed over the edge of the upper platform and, as was his usual strange manner, floated high in the air and approached the glowing crystal. He came to a stop beside the wall of branches, peering through them to look at the crystal.

Cloud walked to the top of the staircase that led down to the central tier. He looked up at Bugenhagen. "Are you getting anything?" he asked. His voice seemed too loud for this room, breaking the calm silence.

Bugenhagen leaned forward, trying to peer through the branches. He spotted an opening on the other side, where the pillar was connected to the upper tiers by a sloping stone path. "…Give me a moment," the old man replied. He began to float around the perimeter of the pillar, heading for the opening. When he reached it he entered the barrier and moved close to the crystal.

With nothing left to do but wait, the companions separated. They settled in various places throughout the hall. Vincent and Cid kept watch at the chamber's entrance, talking together in low voices. Barret paced about impatiently along the central tier, unable to relax even though the city was completely silent. Yuffie sat down at the top of the stairs and played with a ball of materia absently, bored. Cait Sith sat near her and polished his megaphone vigorously.

Cloud walked slowly along the upper tier. His eyes scanned the chamber, taking it all in. The chamber itself was not that large—it would have struggled to hold even fifty people, unless they were all packed together. There were no seats and no doors, except for the darkened hollows carved into the walls of each tier. He guessed that the Forgotten City must have had a small population even in its prime, so long ago.

He turned his attention back to the centre of the room. Red XIII was sitting silently at the edge of the stone slab, watching as Bugenhagen worked his away around the dais, examining the crystal. Tifa stood on the edge of the path that connected the pillar to the upper tier, also watching. She looked up as she heard Cloud approach, and moved out of the way to allow him to pass.

As though sensing Cloud's presence behind him, Bugenhagen straightened and turned. "The knowledge of the Ancients swirling around here is telling me one thing," said the old man, stroking his beard. "The planet's in a crisis…" He shook his head sadly. "A crisis beyond human power or endless time. It says, when the time comes, we must search for 'Holy'."

"Holy?" asked Cloud. Behind him, the others shared glances with each other. One by one they shrugged or shook their heads. They didn't know anything, either.

"Holy… the ultimate white magic," explained Bugenhagen. "Magic that might stand against Meteor. Perhaps our best hope to save the planet from Meteor." The old man looked up at the sky. "If a soul seeking Holy reaches the planet, it will appear. Ho Ho Hoooo. Meteor, Weapon, everything will disappear. Perhaps even ourselves."

Cloud's eyes widened. "Even us!" he asked in alarm. The others began to shift about uncomfortably, not liking the sound of that. They all kept their eyes on Bugenhagen, wide and fearful.

Bugenhagen stroked his beard again. "It is up to the planet to decide," he said simply. He then floated up above the crystal and looked around into the pale, worried faces of Cloud's companions. "What is best for the planet. What is bad for the planet. All that is bad will disappear. That is all. Ho Ho Hoooo," he chucked. "I wonder which we humans are?"

Cloud lowered his head. If they did nothing… Meteor would collide with the planet and everything would be destroyed, including them. If they did as Bugenhagen suggested and summoned Holy… both Meteor and the Weapons would vanish, along with anything the planet decided would do it harm. Suppose the planet decided that it was better off without humans? If they summoned Holy, they could end up destroying themselves anyway. Was that a gamble really worth taking?

Cloud looked up at the sky. Meteor was only just visible over the cliffs. It had grown a little larger, he felt, since they left Cosmo Canyon. He thought back to Shinra's attempt to destroy Meteor. Even with all their technology and weapon advancement, they had been unable to destroy it. Perhaps the only option left to save them and the planet was to call forth Holy.

The more he thought about it, the more obvious the answer became. Holy was the only chance the planet had left for survival. Even if they were destroyed along with Meteor, at least the planet would be safe.

His thoughts went back to Aeris and recalled once more the last words she had spoken to him. Had she known about Holy? Was summoning Holy what she had planned to do to save the planet from Meteor? He started to wonder…

"Search for Holy…" he said finally. He looked up at Bugenhagen. "How do we do it?"

A small smile spread on Bugenhagen's face. The old man had known Cloud would make the right choice.

"Speak to the planet," he said to them. "Get the White Materia… This will bond the Planet to humans. Then speak to the planet. If our wish reaches the planet, the White Materia will begin to glow a pale green."

The White Materia… As Cloud thought about it, Aeris's image returned to his mind. She was in the Sleeping Forest, running towards the Forgotten City. Her hair, tied in a pink ribbon, swung behind her. And there, nestled in the ribbon, was that tiny ball of 'useless' materia that she always carried with her. The materia that was a gift from her mother—the one she said she'd never been able to use…

Aeris must have realised it when they were at the Temple of the Ancients. Standing in the presence of the Black Materia, she must have finally realised what her materia was, and what it did. That was why she had gone to the Forgotten City, where the power of the Ancients was the strongest. She had gone to summon Holy.

But she never succeeded. Sephiroth had seen to that.

"…This is the end," said Cloud. He looked up at Bugenhagen. "Aeris had the White Materia… But when Aeris died, it fell from the altar…" He shook his head, looked at the ground. "That's why… this is the end."

"Ho Ho Hooo! Ho Ho Hooo!"

Cloud raised his head and looked up at Bugenhagen again. He was shocked, for the old man was actually _laughing._ The old man's face was creased into a large smile as he chuckled to himself. Catching Cloud's glare, Bugenhagen turned and floated down to rejoin Cloud and the others. "Ho Ho Hooo!" he chuckled. "Look at this!" He gestured to the stone slab on which the dais rested.

Cloud followed his gesture and looked down. For a moment he saw nothing, but then his eyes widened. "!" he exclaimed.

At first glance, he had thought the slab was nothing more than that: a slab of stone. But looking at it for a second time, he saw that there were images carved into the stone, circling the dais. Cloud hadn't noticed before, but there was a walkway made of blue crystal along the inside of the slab. The images were on this walkway, too, glowing eerily. Though the pictures must have been years old, perhaps hundreds of years old, it was still clear.

"Ancients' writing," said Bugenhagen, answering Cloud's thoughts.

Cloud gazed down at the pictures. So this was the writing of the Ancients. He looked up at Bugenhagen, his eyes hopeful. "Can you read it?" he asked.

Bugenhagen placed his hands on his hips. "I can't even make it out!"

"This's no time for jokes…" said Cloud sourly.

"I'm not an Ancient. I can't read this thing!" Bugenhagen protested. He floated past Cloud and Red XIII, moving slowly around the crystal. "I may be old," he added, "but my eyes aren't completely bad yet." He came to a stop at the side of the crystal and pointed down. "Look closely below the writing."

Cloud followed Bugenhagen's finger and looked at the writing at the base of the dais. At first he saw nothing, but then he stopped and leaned over. There were more words scribbled beneath the writings of the Ancients. They were smaller and fainter, as though someone had written them in a great hurry, but they were definitely written in the common tongue. They were years old, though not as old as the Ancient's writing. The words were faded in places, but some bits were still readable.

"There's something written in chalk…" Cloud knelt down and brushed away a layer of dust and dirt that had built up over the words, allowing him to read them clearer. "…(even sunlight can't reach)…(Key)."

"It was probably written by a scientist who's been here…" said Bugenhagen, stroking his beard. "He probably used up all his energy to make out these two words."

Cloud looked down at the writing again. The words did indeed look as though they had been written with great effort. It was likely that the scientist who wrote them had been at the end of his funds or supplies and was desperate to make one last attempt at deciphering the Ancients' words before being forced to head back home. Either that or something else came up to distract him from his work. But there were other questions on Cloud's mind as he looked at the writing.

"Key…?" He looked up at Bugenhagen again. "To what?"

"I don't know…" Bugenhagen admitted. "But, it'll probably have something to do with our riddle." The old man twirled the ends of his beard between his fingers. "The riddle… then it must have something to do with Aeris."

Cloud rose to his feet. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot, thinking hard. "So this note points to where the key is?" he surmised.

"Probably…" The old man stopped playing with his beard and floated up above the crystal. Without looking at Cloud, he said: "Use these words as clues and go find the key. I'll continue to figure out the Ancient's writing."

'Go find the key'? That was easier said than done. Cloud wished that the scientist who deciphered those words had managed to do a little more. "A place (Even sunlight can't reach) is where the (Key) is, right?"

Bugenhagen nodded. "When you find the key, or when you can't go any further, come back here." He looked back at the writing that circled the dais. "Maybe I'll understand more from the writing and get some new information from you."

Cloud thought for a moment. It was not much of a hint, but it was as good a start as any, he supposed. Besides, there were other places he could try for information.

He looked at Cait Sith, still polishing his megaphone next to Yuffie. The cat looked up at him and tilted his head, confused. Maybe the cat, with his inside connections in Shinra, would be able to help them discover what the key was and where it was hidden. After all, Shinra had spent many long years studying the Ancients. It was entirely possible that they had information on this 'key'. All that was left for them to do now was to return to the Highwind and find it. Cloud nodded firmly.

Just as they were leaving, Red XIII announced that he would be staying behind. He did not want to leave Bugenhagen alone, he said. Cloud guessed that was not the whole reason. He believed that the hound was still feeling guilty over going berserk during their battle with Ruby Weapon. He wanted to redeem himself.

Bugenhagen though, objected, stating that there was no danger in the Forgotten City. Red XIII would be of the best use if he continued to travel with his friends and help them to find the key. The hound tried to object, but Bugenhagen was adamant. In the end, Red XIII left the Forgotten City with Cloud and the others. They headed back to the Highwind, to begin their search for the Key of the Ancients.

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

_And thus ends another chapter._

_I had a lovely message from a reader the other week. Thanks so much!_


	30. Part Thirteen: Chapter 28

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

"Whatcha gonna do, Cloud?" asked Barret. "Got any good ideas?"

The companions were back on the Highwind. The airship was flying low over the shores of the northern continent, while they spent some time thinking about where to go first. Cloud stood by the window watching the waves as they broke on the sand. He didn't know where to begin. 'A place even sunlight can't reach is where the key is'. What place was like that? Perhaps it was in a cave, or under the ground, or even under the ocean. More importantly, what did this key look like?

The ocean… That reminded Cloud of something else that they still needed to collect. The Huge Materia—from the Underwater Reactor at Junon—should still be in the Shinra sub. They were forced to leave it at the bottom of the ocean when they had to hurry to Junon Airport to stop the airship carrying the last piece from leaving. They never had a chance to go back and collect it, and since the attack on Meteor had failed it was unlikely that Shinra had bothered to go down and get it.

So he instructed the Highwind's crew to head south, to Junon. Cait reported that Shinra's presence there was down to a minimum, and so they did not bother to hide the Highwind this time. They landed the airship right in the open, by the alcove where they had hidden the Shinra submarine that they captured. Thankfully, the sub was exactly where they had left it. Leaving the crew in charge of the airship, they boarded the sub and headed down into the ocean.

It did not take them long to find the submarine—twenty minutes at most. As they had expected, the sub lay undisturbed at the bottom of the ocean. It was nestled in a pile of rocks and would have been invisible if it did not stick out like a sore red thumb among the grey and lifeless rocks around it.

They could not help but wince when they saw the damage they had caused. There were two large holes in the side of the submarine where the torpedoes had ripped through the engines. The hatch on the top of the submarine had broken open when it crashed into the rock, which would make their retrieval of the Huge Materia an easier task. All power in the sub had long since died, leaving the vessel eerie and dark.

Sitting in the pilot seat, Cloud brought their submarine to a stop ten metres from the vessel. Its dark, lifeless image filled the screen. "So this is the Leader Sub…" he said. Looking at the charred, black metal, he grimaced. "Damn… makes me sick just thinking about it."

He guided the submarine forward, bringing it around so that it floated just above the open hatch of the sunken ship. The inside of the sub was pitch black except for a tiny glow—that was their target. Tifa, sitting at the left-hand console, activated the submarine's retrieval program.

There was a hum from below as the hatch opened in the belly of their sub. A metallic claw and arm descended and disappeared inside the sunken submarine. A few moments later it rose again, with the Huge Materia resting snugly in the claw's fingers. Once the arm was back inside their sub the hatch closed, and the onboard computer beeped as it made its analysis of their prize.

"…Huge Materia recovered…" the computer announced once its analysis was complete. "No damage appears to have been sustained…"

"…Phew…" said Cloud with a sigh. "That's good to hear."

Vincent and Cait left the bridge to retrieve the Huge Materia. Cloud figured they would place it with the other three pieces once they had finished what they needed to do in the Forgotten City and took Bugenhagen home to Cosmo Canyon. Until then they would have to keep it with them.

Tifa slipped the sonar headphones off her head and turned in her chair to look at Cloud. "So what now?" she asked. "Have you had any ideas?"

Cloud sat back in his chair, his fingers drumming absently against the arm. In truth, he had not been able to come up with a single idea. The key was probably hidden in a cave, but they didn't have the time to travel to every cave in the world. For a moment Cloud had a nasty thought that the key was hidden in the Temple of the Ancients. If that was the case, then it was gone forever, and all would be lost.

During their flight to Junon he had cornered Cait and asked him for his thoughts, but the cat had said he did not know either. All of Shinra's files on the Ancients were closely protected and very few had access. Someone in his position, Cait had said, would not be able to gain access to them. Still, the cat promised that he would try, and that he would let Cloud know if he found out anything.

"Well… I have an idea…"

Cloud turned in his chair. The cat must have some sixth sense, he thought, for he had no sooner thought of Cait before he re-entered the room, with Vincent behind him. In the cat's paws was the last of the Huge Materia. It was at least half the size of him and must have been heavy, but the cat carried it without difficulty and took it over to Cloud. The swordsman took it from him, looked at it for a moment, and then placed it gently in his lap.

"You said you had an idea," he prompted.

The cat tilted his head, confused. "Huh? Oh, aye, that…"

He turned and climbed up onto an empty chair so the others could see him better. Finding the chair a little uncomfortable, the cat tried to soften the leather by pushing down on it with his paws. Cid tapped his spear impatiently on the floor as they waited for the cat to finish.

Once he was sat comfortably, the cat turned to look up at his friends, smiling.

"Well, this is just a rumour," he began, "but I heard that there is a cave somewhere on the western continent that can only be reached by a submarine, or a Chocobo that can cross mountains. It was discovered quite a long time ago by a professor who was doing intensive research into the mysteries of the planet."

"Really?" asked Tifa curiously. "Who was that?"

Cait scratched his chin. "I don't know. His name has been… erased from the records. I'm sure that someone like Heidegger or Scarlet or even Hojo would know. But," he added quickly, before anyone could interrupt, "what I _do_ know is that this cave has been closely linked to the planet and the Cetra. And a cave is a place that sunlight can't reach. Perhaps the 'key' is there."

Cid raised an eyebrow. "You really think it's there?"

"It's a place to start," the cat replied with a shrug. "However, since we don't have a Chocobo handy, the only way we can get to this cave is by using this sub."

Tifa turned to Cloud. "What do you think, Cloud?" she asked.

The swordsman did not reply right away. He looked down at the Huge Materia he held in his hands, turning it over slowly. It wasn't that he did not trust Cait's information, but there was something in the manner that the cat had suddenly offered this information that made him feel a little uneasy. Even so, he couldn't deny the plausibility in Cait's argument. If this cave was linked to the Ancients in some way, then it was certainly worth checking.

"All right," he said finally. "We'll go there first. Do you know the way?"

"When have I ever let you down?" said the cat cheerfully, rising to his feet. He patted his chest. "You drive the sub and I'll lead the way! Now then, away we go!"

* * *

Cait's directions were right on the mark. He led them to an underwater tunnel that was partially hidden in the walls of the tall ocean cliffs that bordered the western continent. The wall of one of the cliffs was almost covering the entrance, making it easy to miss. It was only by chance they spotted it when a fish appeared to disappear behind the wall. They turned the sub around and entered the tunnel.

It was narrow inside the tunnel, at least in the beginning. It widened out after about ten metres, giving them room to move. The lamps on the front of the sub lit up the darkness of the tunnel, meaning they could move without fear of slamming into the walls. Still, it was very dark, and so they slowed down and moved cautiously.

The tunnel generally moved in a straight line, heading deep beneath the western continent. After a couple of miles the tunnel made a gentle curve to move further and further away from the ocean.

Just when they thought that the tunnel was never going to end, a light appeared in the distance. It was a small, faint light that grew brighter as they approached it. Realising that this light was, in fact, sunlight, they picked up the pace and hurried towards the tunnel exit.

The tunnel came out at the bottom of a large lake in the middle of a beautiful valley. The valley was surrounded on all sides by mountains so tall and treacherous that, like Cait said, it would have been impossible to reach it on foot. Only by traversing the underwater tunnels like they did, or by riding on a Chocobo that could ride through mountains, could anybody reach it.

The valley itself was beautiful; another of those rare places where Shinra's influence had not reached. The grass grew freely all over the valley, thick and vibrant, with no traces of blackness or decay. The air did not have the choking scent of machinery, but was clean, crisp and refreshing. It was not hard to see why the researcher who had discovered this place felt that it was connected to the planet. The wonders of the planet were around them in abundance.

They docked the airship as close to the shore of the lake as they could, before climbing out and jumping down into the water. The water was cool and revitalising, and incredibly clear.

The cave that Cait had spoken of was on the western part of the clearing. It was hidden behind a large waterfall that spilled out of a gap between two rising cliffs; in fact they almost missed it during their search. It was Yuffie who found it, as she ran barefoot through the water with Red XIII, trying to splash him with water. When she saw it she stopped and called the others over, and together they entered the cave.

It was very dark inside the cave. The waterfall blocked out most of the sunlight, and it wasn't long before they were walking in what was almost total darkness. Their hopes rose as they thought that maybe this was the place that the riddle had spoken of. The deeper they went into the cave the quieter the roar of the waterfall became, until it was nothing more than a dull roar in the background. The only other sound was their footsteps, echoing quietly around them.

After a few minutes walking down a lengthy passageway, the cave widened out into a cavern. The companions piled in and then stopped, looking around in awe.

Their eyes were immediately drawn to a great crystal edifice at the far end of the cave. It rested silently in the middle of a large, shallow pool, with numerous branches growing out in all directions around a single pillar in the centre. The whole crystal structure was glistening as though covered with a thin film of water, and shimmered with an unearthly white light. Tiny droplets of water dripped from the edge of the 'branches'; the only things to disturb the stillness of the pool.

The companions separated and spread out, examining the rest of the cave. They had no idea what exactly they were looking for. If this was the cave the riddle had spoken of, then they should find something that resembled a 'key' somewhere.

While the others searched under rocks and dug about in crevices, Vincent walked slowly along the edge of the pool. He raised his eyes and looked up at the crystal. The aura of light that the crystal emitted was the only light in the whole cavern. He stood watching it for a moment, before he turned to help the others with the search.

"_Vincent…"_

Vincent stopped; his head snapped around. "That voice?" The gunman turned back to the crystal, his eyes wide. "It can't be…"

Vincent turned and looked over his shoulder. The others were still looking about the cave; it didn't seem as though they had heard the voice. Vincent returned his attention to the crystal. The voice had come from that crystal, of that he was sure. He gazed up at it curiously.

Something moved within the crystal. Vincent started to reach for his gun but was stopped as a bright light suddenly erupted from the crystal and filled the cavern. The others, their attention drawn by this sudden burst of light, cried out and covered their eyes. Only Vincent stood firm, staring directly into the light.

A silhouette flickered over the crystal. The shadow then descended leisurely onto the surface of the pool and settled there. The light then receded, revealing a woman who had until then been sleeping unseen within the confines of the crystal. The woman knelt on the pool's surface, head lowered, staring into the water.

Upon seeing this woman, a wave of chill darkness almost overcame him. Black spots danced in front of his eyes, and his legs turned to jelly. Fighting to stay conscious, the gunman closed his hand tightly around his gun. The pain of the metal digging into his flesh fought back the faintness and brought back some semblance of coherence to his startled mind. When he spoke, his voice was dry and harsh.

"Lucrecia…?"

The woman stirred at the sound of his voice. She knelt at the foot of the crystal, bathed in its white light. She was clothed in a long, white dress made out of silk. It fitted smoothly around her slender form, falling in gentle folds around her ankles. Hearing Vincent's voice, she raised her head. She had a smooth, beautiful face, and a head of long brown hair that was tied up in a long ponytail, though some loose strands fell elegantly around her face. Her dark brown eyes gazed up at Vincent in confusion, as though he was not really there.

"Vincent…?"

"Lucrecia!"

Vincent could not believe his eyes. It _was_ her. It _was _Lucrecia… She was alive! His heart racing, he headed towards the pool.

The woman's eyes cleared. She saw Vincent approaching her. Suddenly, her face twisted in pain and grief. She tore her eyes away from him and thrust her hand out in front of her, to stop him from getting close.

"Stay back!" she shouted.

* * *

It had been many long years since he and Lucrecia first met. It was about thirty years, in fact, though neither of them looked even a day older than they did then. That was all thanks to Shinra and their secret experiments, though Vincent would not learn the true depth of those experiments for another few years, when the truth of the days he'd spent with Lucrecia and Professor Hojo came to light.

In those days, Vincent Valentine had been a member of the Turks. He had been sent to Shinra Manor in Nibelheim to be the bodyguard of one of Shinra's young but brilliant scientists: Dr Lucrecia Crescent.

Dr Crescent had been stationed in Nibelheim alongside Professor Gast and Professor Hojo, aiding them with their research on the planet and the Ancients. Vincent had not known the full content of their research, only that it involved the study of an Ancient that had been discovered on the northern continent. The specimen had been brought from the northern continent and stored at the mako reactor at Mt. Nibel for safe-keeping, though that knowledge had been carefully kept from the townspeople.

Those old days brought back many memories. Watching as Professors Gast and Hojo, along with Lucrecia, walked up to Shinra Manor that was the base of all their research. In time, as he and Lucrecia grew to know one another, they would take regular walks through the town and admire the beautiful landscape. Lucrecia would talk often about her work, her theories, anything that came into her mind. Vincent, in turn, would listen to her talk, taking in every word.

It was only natural that he would come to love her. Lucrecia bright and intelligent, and so kind in her ways that falling in love with her was almost inevitable. She always greeted him with a smile and when they spoke she always looked directly into his eyes. In his heart Vincent was thankful to Shinra that he had been assigned to protect her. He wanted to carry on protecting her… always.

One day, he finally made up his mind to tell her that. He approached her and, plucking up every ounce of courage he had, he asked for her hand.

The reaction he received was not what he expected. Lucrecia's face, always full of smiles and laughter, suddenly shattered like glass. Tears came into her eyes and rolled unchecked down her cheeks. Without saying a word she turned and ran from him, crying and shaking her head. Vincent did not go after her. He simply watched, confused by her tears, as Lucrecia ran as fast as she could away from him.

He saw Lucrecia again that very same day. She had been by the town entrance with Professor Hojo, though neither seemed to be aware that Vincent was nearby. As Vincent watched, Lucrecia suddenly fell into the professor's arms, holding him close. Hojo, in turn, put his arms around her, a smile on his face. Vincent stood and watched them for a moment, before he turned and walked away.

"_If she is happy then… I don't mind."_

Unbeknownst to Vincent, Lucrecia was not happy. Torn apart by her decisions, she spent many hours pacing in her room at Nibelheim Inn. She would stop only to grab her head with her hands, tug at her hair, and cry to herself. Yet despite her pain she would always return to Hojo's side, her face cold, and her eyes flat like glass.

It was on one such day, when Hojo and Lucrecia were together in the professor's office, that Vincent confronted them. He had heard from one of the other researchers staying at the Manor that Hojo and Lucrecia were going to use the cells of the Ancient stored at the mako reactor in a human experiment: one that would create a human with the extraordinary powers of the Ancients. Professor Hojo, he'd heard, had drawn up the plans for that experiment. And that Dr Crescent—Lucrecia—had offered herself to be the mother of that child.

"_I'm against it!"_ Vincent at shouted at the two. _"Why experiment on humans!"_

Lucrecia remained silent; she refused to even look at him. Professor Hojo, on the other hand, sighed heavily and spoke as though he was speaking to a child. _"She and I are both scientists!"_ he said.

Vincent had argued long and hard, but his words fell on deaf ears. Professor Hojo refused to listen to him. Even Lucrecia stubbornly refused to listen, determined to continue with the experiment regardless of the risks, or what Vincent or anyone else said to try and stop her. She was sure, she had said…

In the end, the experiment went ahead. Vincent did nothing else to try and talk Lucrecia out of it. He simply stood by and watched as Professor Hojo and Lucrecia worked to gather the required cells from Jenova, the Ancient that lay sleeping in the mako reactor. Once the cells were ready, those cells were injected into Lucrecia… and into her unborn child.

"_After that, a child was born to Lucrecia… That child's name is… Sephiroth…"_

It happened a few days after the birth of her child. Lucrecia was alone in her room at the Inn. She was pacing the room as she always did, her face carrying that worn, weary look that had become customary in the months leading up to her child's birth. She crossed the room and headed to the window to look out at the town.

Suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain ripped through her lower abdomen. Lucrecia cried out and fell to her knees, clutching at her stomach. The pain was intense, burning. She tried to stand, but her strength gave out and she fell facedown onto the wooden floor. There she lay, twitching, before her body became still and she moved no more.

When Vincent heard what had happened, he was livid. He confronted Hojo in his lab, demanding that he answer for what he did to Lucrecia. Hojo, in his temper, drew out a gun and shot Vincent in the chest. The Turk staggered back, startled, and then fell to the ground. Hojo stood over him, the gun still in his hand, laughing triumphantly.

Shortly afterward, Professor Hojo had Vincent's unconscious body strapped to a table. The wound in his shoulder was bad, but luckily for him it was not fatal. Hojo stood at his side, hard at work, with a scalpel in his hand. There was a wicked smile on the professor's face as he worked, picking up a syringe and slowly injecting its contents into the wounded Turk's left arm. Putting it down, the professor picked up a second, and injected the contents of that one also.

Vincent came to a few hours later. He was alone in the laboratory; Professor Hojo had gone. The Turk sat up slowly. A wave of dizziness and nausea overcame him as he moved, and put his hand to his head. He waited until the dizziness passed before he climbed off the table, standing on his two feet. His legs wobbled, and he almost found himself on the floor again. In an attempt to keep himself from falling, he reached out to grab hold of the table.

Suddenly, Vincent stopped and stared down at his hand. Feeling suddenly cold, the Turk raised his other hand and looked at that, too. It was the same. His hands were strange, bizarre… inhuman.

Unable to fight the rising panic, the Turk raised his arms into the air. _"__Urrrrrrrrgh!"_ he cried, his voice garbled and monstrous. That was the last thing he remembered, before his vision went dark once more.

"_This body is… the punishment that's been given to me… I was unable… to stop them… All that I was able to do was watch… That is my punishment…"_

* * *

Vincent stopped a few feet from the edge of the pool. Seeing that he had stopped, Lucrecia slowly lowered her hand. She brought it close to her chest, resting it over her heart. Her face was marked by sorrow and anguish, which only increased when she raised her eyes and looked up at Vincent, standing before her.

Though Cloud and the others now stood around him, awestruck by Lucrecia's sudden appearance, Vincent did not pay them any heed. All of his thoughts, his feelings… they were all on the woman who knelt before him now. The woman he had thought to be dead all of this time… Lucrecia Crescent.

"Lucrecia…" he breathed, in wonder. "You're alive…"

Lucrecia's eyes filled again as she heard Vincent speak her name. She clasped her fingers tightly in the folds of her dress and looked away from him, full of shame.

"I wanted to disappear…" she said softly. "I couldn't be with anyone… I wanted to die… But the Jenova inside me wouldn't let me die…"

Lucrecia paused and took a shaky breath. Vincent watched her in silence, unable to say a word. Even the others, standing around him, were perfectly silent.

When she had recovered her composure, Lucrecia continued. "Lately, I dream a lot about Sephiroth… My dear, dear child. Ever since he was born I never got to hold him, even once… Not even once. You can't call me his mother… That…" she said, after a moment's hesitation, "is my sin…"

Her voice broke, and she raised her fingers to her lips as she fought back a sob. Vincent took a step towards her, thinking to console her. Seeing him move, Lucrecia quickly thrust out her hand again.

"Back!" she shouted. "Stay back!"

Vincent did as he was told and stopped, right at the edge of the pool. The tip of his boots touched the water, sending a small, minor ripple across its surface. Lucrecia caught sight of the movement and watched silently as that ripple moved past her knees, stopping at the edge of the crystal. Her fingers ceased trembling. Carefully, she rose to her feet, standing just above the surface of the pool. Finally she raised her head without fear and looked Vincent in his red eyes.

"Vincent…" she said. "Won't you please tell me?"

Vincent looked back at her, confused. "…What?"

"If Sephiroth is still alive?" Lucrecia took a half-step forward, and her feet made another ripple in the pool's surface, heading for Vincent. "I heard that he died five years ago. But I see him in my dreams so often… And I know that physically, like myself, he can't die so easily. Please, Vincent," she begged. "Tell me…"

Vincent did not answer straight away. Behind him, Cloud stepped forward, preparing to tell her the truth about her 'dear child'.

Seeing Cloud move, Vincent turned and thrust out his arm. Cloud stopped in his tracks and stared at the gunman in surprise. Vincent's eyes were firm, their message clear. It was he and he alone who could answer Lucrecia. It was up to him to tell her what she needed to hear… so that she would be able to rest in peace.

Vincent lowered his arm and turned back to Lucrecia. She looked back at him with her face in earnest, her eyes filled with tears.

"Lucrecia…" He paused. He looked directly into her eyes, his face impassive. "Sephiroth is dead…"

As Vincent said those words, Lucrecia's face fell. She looked down into the water. A single, solitary tear rolled down her cheek. It dripped off her chin and splashed into the water, creating another ripple.

A gentle white light radiated from the crystal behind her. The light wrapped itself around Lucrecia's body, drawing her into it. When the light faded Lucrecia was inside the crystal once more. Her hands were clasped gently over her chest and her eyes were closed, as though in sleep.

Vincent gazed up at the crystal, his eyes on Lucrecia. Unable to die, she had said… because of the Jenova cells living inside her. That was why she had sealed herself away here, in the crystal cavern, where nobody else could find her.

Her dreams of Sephiroth were also caused by the Jenova cells inside her. The Reunion… As Sephiroth called out from the Lifestream to all those bearing Jenova's cells, he also woke Lucrecia from her long sleep. Only the crystal protected her, and so she believed that her visions of him were simply dreams.

And it was lucky for her that she did. To see what her son had become, and the things that he had done… Vincent was thankful she had been spared that pain, at least. Now it was up to him—and his friends—to make sure that those dreams ended.

With that thought firmly in his mind, Vincent turned and walked out of the cavern. He did not look back. He couldn't—not until he confronted Professor Hojo and made him pay for what he had done to Lucrecia. Only then would he come back here to see Lucrecia again.

The others waited a moment before following him. They were startled by what they had just seen, but were also a little disappointed, for this meant that the key was not here after all. They would have to come up with something else.

Cloud was the last to leave. He stopped at the entrance and took one last look at the crystal where Lucrecia slept. So this was Lucrecia, the woman that Vincent had loved, and the woman who had given birth to Sephiroth.

Yet it was Jenova whom Sephiroth claimed as his mother, not Lucrecia. That was thanks to the Jenova cells that had been implanted into both Lucrecia and Sephiroth, before his birth. Cloud had to wonder… did Sephiroth even know about Lucrecia? Or had her name been carefully stricken from the records, as was Shinra's way?

He heard Tifa's voice, calling his name. Cloud turned from the crystal and ran down the tunnel to catch up to his friends. It did not matter _who_ Sephiroth's parents were. In fact, seeing Lucrecia only gave them another reason to find him and stop him from doing harm to anybody else.

The others were waiting for him by the cave entrance. Vincent stood a little ways apart from them, looking out at the valley that surrounded the cave. He looked troubled and deep in thought, but that was not surprising considering what he had just seen. Until now, he had believed Lucrecia to be dead. Many thoughts were likely running through his head right now. It was probably a good idea to leave Vincent alone for a while, and let him sort out his feelings by himself.

Cloud walked forward and gave Vincent a pat on the shoulder before he headed off along the shore, back to where they had docked the sub. Vincent looked at Cloud as he walked away, before he gave a slight nod of his head and followed him.

The sub was just as they had left it, although it had had attracted a few feathery friends that sat perched on top of it. They chased the birds away and reluctantly climbed back inside the sub. They were more than a little subdued when they took their seats on the bridge, because they had yet to find any clues to the whereabouts of the key, and also because they already missed the warmth of the sunlight.

Once Cloud had submerged the sub and guided it back into the dark tunnel, Cid spoke out.

"Well, that sure was a waste of time," he moaned. "Not even a key." He leaned against the wall; pulled out a cigarette. "So where next?"

No one answered right away. They all looked at the floor, waiting for someone to come up with an answer.

Cloud sighed heavily. It was true: they had come all this way across the ocean, and they had found no clues as to where the key might be. He wished they'd had a chance to ask Lucrecia, but that was impossible now. It really did seem that they had come all this way for nothing.

Cait Sith was sitting on the edge of the console beside Cid. He drummed his fingers lightly on the side of his megaphone and tilted his head left to right. Finally he nodded his head and looked up. "Well…" he began, a little hesitantly. "I don't know where we might go to look next… But… since we're down here…"

"I knew it." Cloud brought the sub to a stop in the middle of the tunnel and turned his chair around to face the cat. His eyes narrowed. "I knew there was another reason you wanted us to come all this way. It had nothing to do with the cave."

"That's not true!" the cat protested, looking hurt. "I really did think there might be a clue there. It's just that while we're here, there is a place I'd really like to check out. You see, I heard that one of our airships crashed and sank somewhere near here, and I just wanted to see if that was true."

"Just your general curiosity?" asked Barret, sceptical.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know," said Yuffie, fiddling with her boot.

Cid rubbed his temple. "It's killin' me, and I ain't no cat!" he grumbled.

"Curiosity aside, I think it might be worth us checking out," Cait insisted. "Remember: this is a _Shinra_ airship. And I heard Scarlet had put some special items on that airship. We might be able to find something that we can put to use."

Everybody on the sub looked at Cloud, waiting for his decision. Seeing that it was going to be him who made this decision, Cloud sighed again.

He wanted to go back to the Forgotten City, to see if Bugenhagen had managed to translate any more of the Ancients' writing. That would mean going all the way back to the eastern continent and getting back on their airship. They would be wasting more valuable time just traveling.

Also, as much as he hated to admit it, Cait had piqued his curiosity about the sunken airship. It would be a very great shame if they were to leave behind anything that could help them in the fights that were to come ahead. It would be more of a shame if Shinra were to retrieve them and use them against Cloud and the others.

Cloud ran a hand through his hair and tugged the end of one of his spikes. It would be wasting more time, he thought, but if there was anything that could help them it would be worth the risk. Curiosity killed the cat…

"We'll check out the airship," he answered finally. Cait jumped for joy. "But we'll just take a quick look. If we can't find anything useful, we leave and go back to the Forgotten City." He looked at the jumping cat. "I assume you know where the airship sank?" he asked. Cait stopped jumping and nodded. "All right, then. Let's go."

The others nodded. If Cloud thought it was okay to check out the airship, then they did, too. Cait jumped off the console and climbed up onto his Mog, smiling broadly.

"You won't regret it, Cloud," he said. "I promise you."

Cloud really hoped that he wouldn't.

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

_A revised ending, after I decided that the old ending was, well, crap. I really have to stop rushing to get a chapter finished. Once I'm on the last 500 words or so I get eager to finish and upload it, and the result is always sloppy. Well… it's better to realise sloppy work and correct it, rather than go 'I can't be bothered; I'll just let it be.'_

_Also, I realise there wasn't a waterfall outside Lucrecia's Cave: I just added that to add to the beautiful scenery._


	31. Part Thirteen: Chapter 29

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

_Just a quick note to say that I revised the ending to the previous chapter, after deciding it was abrupt and sloppy. So it has been revised so that it flows better into this chapter._

* * *

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

They found the sunken airplane in an alcove a few miles away. It must have been in a fight, for its hull was burned almost beyond recognition. There was a long, gaping lesion in the airplane's rear, made when something long and powerful had reached up and tried to snatch it out of the air. Instead it cut through the engines, making it unable to remain in the air. It was a miracle that the airplane had made it this far before it crashed into the sea.

Cloud and his friends watched as the sub moved its way slowly around the airplane, trying to find a point of entry. There was a hatch on top of the airship that was probably used for attaching to other planes to refuel during flight. It seemed to be just the right size for the sub's docking hatch, and so Cloud manoeuvred the submarine over airplane and carefully connected them. The two slotted together perfectly, and so the group headed down to the airplane.

They were thankful to find that the lights inside the plane still worked, so they wouldn't be searching around in the dark at least. Cloud entered first, climbing down a ladder that connected to the hatch. The others came down after him and they gathered in the corridor, looking around at the wreckage.

"This is the Shinra's Gelnika type airplane," said Cloud, recognising a nameplate on the wall. Looking down, he realised that the floor was wet. He looked up. Water was leaking in slowly from a cracked pipe overhead. "I wonder why it went down here?" he wondered to himself, and headed down the corridor.

The others followed close behind. They kept quite close together, for the inside of the airplane had a very cold and ghostly atmosphere. This was not helped by their footsteps echoing as they walked, or that every so often the overhead lights would flicker and die out, leaving them in darkness.

There were two doors at the end of the corridor. One of these stood open, and they moved towards it. When they reached the door they stopped. They listened. Voices could be heard in the corridor beyond, talking loudly. Cloud signalled to the others to stay where they were. Then, with one hand around the hilt of his sword, he walked through the open door.

There were two men in the hallway. They were in front of a locked door at the far end of the corridor. One man was standing and supervising the other, who was kneeling in front of the door trying to unlock it. Cloud stared in surprise, recognising the uniforms, the spiky red hair, and the shining bald head.

"Turks!" he exclaimed.

The two men fell silent. Rude stood and turned. Seeing Cloud, he raised an eyebrow.

"…again?" he asked, and there was more surprise in his voice than there was in his face. After all, they were at the bottom of the ocean, the last place they expected to see each other.

"We just seem to keep running into each other lately!" said Reno, almost cheerfully.

He walked forward. At this point the others, who had until then remained hidden in the other corridor, ran in. They gathered behind Cloud, their weapons already drawn and ready. Reno stopped, eyeing their weapons. He then looked over his shoulder at Rude, whose only response was to adjust his shades slightly.

Reno sighed and shook his head. He then gestured to the door behind him and Rude. "There were weapons and Materia developed solely to destroy Sephiroth," he explained to them.

"…But, it was attacked by Weapon and sunk to the bottom of the sea," said Rude.

"I can't give you what's here," Reno said. "We'll take out Sephiroth." The Turk reached behind him and unhooked his electric rod from his belt. With a snap of his wrist the rod extended to its full length, and the tip crackled with electricity. He held it out, pointing its tip at Cloud. "I guess this is our last meeting."

Rude stepped forward to stand beside his partner. He clenched his fists, raised them ready. "I won't let you get in our way," he said.

Without any warning, Reno charged forward and headed for Cloud. The swordsman barely drew the Buster Sword in time before Reno swung his electric rod at Cloud's head. The rod clashed against the blade, but a game of struggle was not Reno's intent. He pressed a button on the handle with his thumb. Electricity shot across the rod, quick and powerful, spreading to the Buster Sword and to the one holding it. Cloud cried out as he was thrown backward by the electric shock. He slammed into Barret, and the two fell back into a pile of crates near the rear wall.

Rude bolted past the others, intent on striking Cloud while he was down. Tifa quickly ran in front of him and blocked his path. She swung her fist and struck Rude on the chin. The blow sent Rude's head reeling backward, but he recovered quickly. He countered with a winding blow to the chest, before grabbing her outstretched arm and throwing her bodily over his shoulder.

She hit the ground hard, and clutched at her head. Rude stood over her, his fist raised. He caught sight of movement to his right and quickly ducked as a bullet fired overhead. The Turk jumped over Tifa and darted forward. He grabbed hold of Vincent's arm and pushed it upward just as Vincent fired another shot, and the bullet fired harmlessly into the ceiling. Rude then tried to grab Vincent's neck, but the gunman quickly caught his other hand and struggled to keep it away from his neck.

Unwilling to let Vincent struggle alone, Cait Sith hopped forward on his Mog. The Mog swung its giant fists and hit Rude in the square of his back. The Turk staggered forward, lost his balance and fell to the floor. He'd barely had chance to move before Vincent's gun was at his head. The Turk stayed still, silent.

Cid, meanwhile, thrust out his spear at Reno. The red-haired Turk dodged it easily, then grabbed the spear and yanked it towards him, almost pulling Cid off his feet. With the pilot off-balance Reno jabbed his rod into Cid's side, turned on the electricity, and gave the pilot a mild shock that sent him flying across the corridor.

Red XIII leaped forward, hoping to latch onto Reno while his back was turned and disable his striking arm. Yet Reno had not forgotten the hound and his sharp teeth, and so quickly turned and thrust out his rod warningly. The hound stopped just inches before the crackling tip of the rod—he could feel its pulsing electricity make the fur on his face stand on end. The hound stepped back, growling fiercely.

Suddenly the airplane groaned loudly, and the floor beneath their feet shuddered. The overhead lights flickered and went out, leaving them all in darkness. Yuffie cried out. The Gelnika gave another strained groan, and the lights came back on. The ground stopped shaking and became still.

Reno looked over at Rude, who was still on the floor with Vincent's gun aimed squarely at his head. Rude nodded. Reno sighed and lowered his rod. The electricity on it died out, and the Turk hooked it back onto his belt.

"These guys are pretty tough," he said, with just a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Rude stood; keeping his arms up and palms open in a show of submission. Reno looked at Cloud, who had just risen to his feet. Cloud stared back at him. The Turk flashed him a grin and then bolted forward, running straight past the rebels and disappearing through the open door behind them.

Rude stayed behind for a moment, pausing to wipe off some dirt that had gotten onto his sleeve. When he was done he looked around at the rebels. "…" he muttered, before following Reno out the door.

Nobody tried to stop them. They simply watched as the two Turks ran down the corridor and threw themselves up the ladder, disappearing through the hatch. Cloud wondered where their sub was parked. It was probably hidden somewhere nearby, ready for moments such as this. The Turks never let down their guard, it seemed.

Cloud sheathed his sword and turned to the door that Rude had been working to unlock. Time was running out for the Gelnika; if there was something that they could salvage from the steadily filling wreckage, then they should look for it now.

"So Shinra's new, secret weapon was on this Airship…" said Cloud. He approached the door and pushed a button on the console beside it. The door slid open; Rude must have just unlocked it when he and his friends interrupted them.

They went on through the door. It led to a walkway overlooking a very large room that took up most of the interior of the airplane. "This must be the Cargo Room…" Cloud surmised. He leaned on the rails and looked out at the room below.

Here the damage sustained by the Gelnika was at its worst. There was debree and wreckage scattered everywhere throughout the room—it looked as though nothing had escaped the crash. Wooden crates previously stocked in neat piles lay in broken heaps in all corners of the room. Barrels had fallen and burst open, spilling a strange green liquid—probably raw Mako—onto the floor. The room was also very hot, as steam from burst pipes around the room seeped into the air from the engines below.

As well as the crates and barrels, the Gelnika had also been issuing a Shinra standard-issue helicopter. This, too, lay in ruins, smashed up in one corner of the cargo room. Its blades were dented, and one had snapped off completely. The glass in the front and sides windows had smashed and now lay hazardously all over the room. It also appeared to have been on fire at some point, for there were thin tendrils of smoke still rising from the engine.

Cloud and his friends walked down the steps leading to the main bay. When he reached the bottom he stopped and looked around at the wreckage. "This is terrible…" he said. He stepped off the stairs, and glass crunched under his boots. "It's all messed up…"

The bay was a terrible mess—but it was to be expected after being attacked by Weapon and then crashing into the ocean. It was also unlikely that anything the airplane had been carrying would have survived intact, unless it was very well protected. Still, while they were here, they decided that they might as well split up and search for anything that could be salvaged.

Yuffie made the first find. There was a ball of Hades summon materia lying on the ground near the helicopter. Hades was a powerful summon, almost as powerful as the Bahamut dragons. The ninja refused to relinquish it when Cloud asked her for it; after all, he already had the three Bahamuts at his disposal, she argued. Cloud decided not to argue with her, and so she pocketed her prize with a smug smile.

There was little else worth taking. One crate they found was filled with cases of Potions, Hi-Potions and even Elixirs for increasing the healing rate of wounds, but all of these were broken, their contents useless.

After leaving the cargo room they returned to the corridor where they first arrived, and this time went through the other door. The room that lay beyond was dark; most of the lights had broken in the crash. As they hoped, there were a few unbroken crates lying about, but the most interesting thing about the room was a large generator at the far end. It was smashed up but still operational, though it was only just clinging to life.

"What is this place…?" asked Cloud, and his voice echoed back at him. "Must be some kind of Research Establishment because there's a Mako generator?"

Whatever it was, it was losing power rapidly. Mako was leaking steadily from a number of broken pipes at the side, covering the floor.

At a nod from Cloud, the companions split up and began to search the contents of the crates. There were a few unbroken capsules of restorative items that were most welcome, and in one crate there was new shuriken for Yuffie, a new brand developed by Shinra known as The Conformer. The ninja's eyes lit up when she saw it and immediately snatched the weapon out of Cid's hands (it should be noted that the pilot was not particularly pleased at having his hands almost sliced off).

In the end, there was little to be gained from searching the Gelnika. Most of the items that they had found ended up in Yuffie's pocket, and everyone believed that somehow _she_ had been the one to benefit most from this little side trip. They returned to the submarine quiet and feeling irritated, and still without any clues as to the location of the key. If only the Turks hadn't run off: they could have pressed the two for information.

Cloud took his seat in the captain's chair, yet again at a loss for what to do next. The Gelnika had turned up nothing particularly useful, nor had it provided them with any leads as to the Key. It seemed that their only option was to return to the Forgotten City and speak to Bugenhagen. The old man was more reliable than Cait when it came to information, even if at times he was a bit vague about it.

The swordsman turned his attention back to the console and began to detach the sub from the sunken airship. As the sub disconnected and pulled away, the airship rolled onto its side. A barrage of bubbles streamed out from the giant gash in its belly, heading towards the surface. In a matter of minutes the airship would be completely filled with water, and therefore completely inaccessible. Not that it mattered; there was nothing left anyway.

Cloud turned the submarine away from the airship, preparing to head back into the ocean. The moment the sub finished turning, Cloud brought it to an immediate halt. The sudden cease of movement caused the rest of those in the sub to lose their balance, and they had to hold onto chairs and consoles to keep from falling over.

Cloud heard Tifa say his name questioningly, but he did not answer her. The swordsman just stared up at the overhead screen, unable to speak.

The others then saw what he had seen, and they too froze in place. They all stood, stock still, mouths slightly open in awe and fright. Only Red XIII found the courage to speak, voicing the one word they had all been dreading to hear since Cait made that subtle reference back in the Underwater Reactor at Junon.

"Weapon!"


	32. Part Thirteen: Chapter 30

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty**

It was a terrifying sight. Weapon was floating so close to the submarine it seemed almost possible to reach out and touch it. The sight of it stunned everyone in the sub into total silence. Only Red XIII's cry broke the silence, but they were unable to tear their eyes away from the fearsome monster in front of them.

The same questions ran through everyone's mind. When had Weapon found them? They had been onboard the Gelnika for no longer than maybe half an hour at the most. They had to wonder: did the Turks know that Weapon was on its way? Was that why they had given up the fight so easily and fled the sunken airship?

They watched as Weapon inched slowly forward. It moved by expelling air from vents in the back of its gigantic, hunching shoulders and even more gigantic legs, propelling it forward. The beast was covered from head to foot in thick, moss-coloured armour, the colour of which had earned it its name. The only area left uncovered by armour was a single point in its torso. Its torso was much slender than the rest of its body, with a red laser light at the centre. This light was trained on the companions' sub like an eye, following their every move.

"What should we do?" asked Cid loudly. Almost as if Weapon had heard his voice, it came to a stop. They all held their breath. Weapon made no further moves forward, and they all relaxed. "What should we do?" Cid repeated, this time in a whisper.

Cloud didn't know what to do. They were in a worse position now than they had been facing off against Ruby Weapon in the Highwind. At least then they had room to move about, and could use their weapons and materia. Here they could use neither. They were trapped in a cramped, metallic crate at the bottom of the ocean, with nothing left to use but a few missiles.

"Should we run?" Tifa asked.

"It's all we can do," answered Cloud. He took hold of the control stick. "Hold on."

He jerked the control stick towards him. The submarine roared into life and sprang forward at speed, charging towards Weapon. Cloud tugged on the control stick again and the submarine lurched upwards, rising in a steep climb towards Weapon's head.

The submarine did not stop and climbed ever higher, until finally it soared up and over Emerald Weapon's head. Once over the beast's head Cloud thrust the control stick forward and sent the submarine whizzing through the water, heading for the alcove's exit. They broke through the exit and headed back out into the ocean, leaving Emerald Weapon behind.

"You did it, Cloud!" said Tifa joyfully, once she and the others had regained their balance after the sudden burst of speed. She looked to Cloud, expecting him to be as relieved as she was. She was surprised, then, to find that Cloud's face was solemn as he stared up at the screen. "What is it?" she asked.

She soon got her answer. The sonar beside her beeped loudly, just as Emerald Weapon emerged from the alcove's entrance. The monstrous Weapon slid out of the alcove, moving slow and steady, like something out of a nightmare. It turned slightly to the left and to the right, searching. Then its 'gaze' settled on the sub and it began to move towards them.

Vincent was sitting at the weapon's station. Upon seeing Weapon, the gunman turned calmly to the controls and loaded a missile into the bay. He fired it, and everyone watched as the missile sped through the water towards Weapon. The missile struck the beast in its shoulder, and as it exploded the area became filled with bubbles and thick, watery smoke. Everyone watched, hopeful.

Their hopes were in vain. The watery cloud parted as Weapon emerged, undamaged and unharmed. The missile had done nothing to damage its armour, or even hinder its progression. The only change they noticed was in Weapon's speed—it had picked up its pace.

"Uh, Vincent, I think you just made it angry," said Yuffie. Vincent said nothing.

Cloud moved the sub around a tall pillar of rock. He knew the purpose of Vincent's attack on Weapon. The gunman had simply been confirming what Cloud had already suspected: that the submarine's arsenal was not suited to an underwater battle with Emerald Weapon. The missiles had been designed to penetrate other enemy ships, not the thick, impenetrable armour of Weapon.

In short: if it came to a battle, they stood very little chance of winning.

They came around the other side of the pillar. Now all that lay before them was the wide, open ocean, with nowhere they could hide from Weapon. Where should they go? Cloud had to think quickly, for Weapon was steadily gaining on them. After making up his mind, he turned the sub to the right. Perhaps they could lose Weapon along the pillars and crevices that lined the ocean floor by the continent walls.

Almost as soon as the sub began to turn, Emerald Weapon came to a stop. The red light in the middle of its frame flashed once. It lifted its giant shoulders up, and then fired two shots from two of the four holes in the front of its shoulders. The projectiles fired through the water at great speed and passed the sub on its right-hand side.

The shockwave made by the bullets zipping past caused the submarine to careen sharply to the left. For those inside, it was all they could do to keep from falling over as the ground beneath them lurched and tilted sideways. Only Cloud remained in his chair, pulling on the control stick as hard as he could, trying to bring the submarine back under his control.

The submarine groaned as it rolled back onto its belly. Cloud immediately turned the sub around and headed north along the eastern shore. He put as much power into the engines as he could, forcing the sub forward before Weapon could have a chance to fire again. They had to bring some distance between them and Weapon if they were going to have a chance at surviving this.

Seeing the sub turn towards the north, Emerald Weapon slowly came to a stop. It lowered its shoulders, expelling hot air from the vents along its back. It opened its mouth, mostly hidden behind the armour covering its face, releasing another small stream of hot bubbles. Then it closed its mouth again and began to shuffle forwards after the companions' sub. It moved at a steady pace, keeping the sub in its sight.

Cloud steered the sub in a long arc towards the eastern shore. The current was strong this far down and Cloud had to fight to keep the sub moving at a steady pace, so as not to draw Weapon's attention. His eyes watched the continent walls closely, searching for an inlet where they could quickly hide and then rise to the surface.

There was one such inlet just ahead, but the moment Cloud made to turn the sub towards it Weapon fired another round of projectiles on its left-hand side. The shots hit the continent walls and smashed the entrance of the inlet to pieces, blocking it with falling rock. Cloud cursed and turned the sub back to the north.

The sub continued to head north for a further ten minutes, with Emerald Weapon remaining in close pursuit the whole time. It did not draw any closer to them, but any time they tried to turn and slip into another inlet or cave, Weapon fired another round that forced them back onto their northward course. Eventually they passed the northernmost point of the eastern continent and headed out into the ocean.

As they drew closer to the northern continent, the temperature of the water outside the sub began to drop rapidly. The air inside the sub became cold, until their breath came out in small, white clouds. They were very thankful for the heaters that provided them with warmth and kept them from freezing. Cloud just hoped that Weapon would give up the chase and leave them soon, before the engines froze up.

It was not long before the walls of the northern continent came into view. Upon seeing this Cloud cursed to himself. Now they would have to turn and risk being shot at by Weapon, otherwise they would collide with the continent walls. He took a deep breath before he turned the submarine cautiously to the left.

Seeing the submarine move, Emerald Weapon immediately fired another shot. Cloud saw it coming and immediately swerved the submarine to the right. The sub turned and began to rush along the continent walls, heading west.

Weapon started to give chase, no longer keeping its distance and moving at high speed after the fleeing sub. Two missiles fired from the sub's rear as Vincent tried to stall the monster's advance. The missiles struck Weapon in its torso but did nothing to slow it down—the beast just kept on coming.

"It's still coming after us!" cried Cait, cowering in fear on his Mog.

Cloud pulled on the control stick and pulled the submarine sharply to the right. A loud explosion sounded right next to them, and the submarine was thrown harshly back. Weapon was determined to not let them escape into the ocean again.

Looking up at the view screen, the rear camera showed Weapon fast approaching. Its image was growing rapidly as it drew closer, until it filled the screen. He saw the light in the centre of its torso begin to glow hotly. Knowing what was coming, Cloud pushed the submarine forward as fast as it could go, praying that the engines would hold. They had to escape before it unleashed its primary weapon!

Then, as they sped along, Cloud spotted an opening in the continent walls. Recalling the manoeuvre he pulled when they had fought the other Shinra sub, he pulled the sub into a sharp turn. The nose remained where it was while the rear kept on turning, until the sub had almost made a complete 180 degree turn.

Quickly, Cloud scanned the continent wall. There it was: a tall, narrow fissure in the rocky walls, rising from the ground and heading up to the surface. It was too narrow for the likes of Weapon to fit through, but it was just wide enough for the submarine. Seeing another barrage of rounds heading their way, Cloud punched the accelerator and headed for the fissure.

They reached the fissure just as the rounds exploded. The blast caused a shockwave that sent the submarine hurtling down the narrow gap. More than once they came perilously close to crashing into the walls. It was all Cloud could do to steer them away from the walls, leaving them with nothing more than a few meagre scrapes.

Weapon roared and tried to follow the sub into the fissure. As expected, its great bulk was too large and so it was unable to enter after them. Realising that it had lost its prey, Weapon roared in anger, its rage so intense that it made the water quiver.

Cloud kept the sub moving down the length of the fissure. Weapon could not make it down here, of that he was sure. But it still had its primary weapon: that laser. With that Emerald Weapon could blast the rock guarding the fissure to pieces, and then they would have no escape. All they could do now was move well out of range and hope that Weapon did not use its laser. Perhaps once it realised that the chase was futile it would leave and they could quietly make an escape.

The fissure came to an abrupt end about thirty metres ahead of them, but as they neared Cloud saw that there was a darkened tunnel close to the ocean floor. Here was the perfect hiding place. Cloud led the submarine into the tunnel and brought it to a stop.

Then… they waited.

In the distance they heard Weapon roaring in rage. It was incredible that they could still hear it, this far beneath the ocean, when the water should have dulled out all other sounds. Every so often they heard a 'thud', presumably caused by Weapon slamming its body against the fissure's entrance, trying to draw them out.

"So now what?" Barret asked, breaking the silence. "We jus' sit here and wait for it to leave?"

"It looks that way," Cloud replied, not looking at him.

Silence resumed. Outside, Weapon continued to slam its body against the rock. Barret, growing more and more impatient, drummed his fingers against his gun-arm.

A few minutes passed by, and still Weapon showed no signs of stopping. Unable to take it any longer, Barret slammed his gun-arm against the wall. "Why don't we jus' charge it?" he demanded. "All this waitin' around is drivin' me crazy!" He slammed his arm against the wall a second time for good measure.

"As long as Weapon is out there, we'll be blasted out of the water the moment we show our faces," said Vincent gruffly. When Barret seemed about to protest, Vincent added: "If you want to go out there and die, then go ahead. What will become of the planet then? Or Marlene?"

Barret shut his mouth. He shook his fist at Vincent and then turned away, his face sullen. "Guess I'll just wait, then," he said finally.

Once again the silence returned. Everyone in the sub sat nervously as they listened to Weapon roaring, their hearts racing each time they heard the telltale thud of its body crashing into the rock. Inwardly, each one of them hoped that the continent walls were strong enough to withstand the force, though none dared to say it aloud.

After about five minutes of silence, Tifa slipped off her headphones and left her seat to stand beside Cloud.

"How much air do we have left?" she asked him quietly, so the others couldn't hear.

"About an hour," the swordsman whispered back. "It should be enough, I think."

"You hope," Tifa amended softly. She looked down at the floor, her fists trembling. Angrily she pushed her fears aside and looked up at the screen. "Where are we, anyway?" she asked aloud, trying to change the topic.

Cloud brought the world map up onto the screen. Their location was marked by a single yellow dot. "We're in an underwater tunnel on the southern side of the northern continent," he said.

"It isn't marked on the map."

Cloud nodded. As far as the map was concerned, they appeared to be inside the continent itself. "I guess nobody knew about it until now."

The swordsman cancelled the world map and returned to the view screen. He pressed another button to turn on the outside lights, which lit up the surrounding area. As long as they were trapped down here, they may as well have a look around.

The tunnel that they were hiding in was very dark; so dark that even the lights had difficulty penetrating it. The walls were narrow, with barely enough room to turn around. It also seemed that the tunnel headed further underneath the continent, though to where it led, Cloud couldn't even guess.

"Well, we might as well have a look where this leads," he said to the others. "Before some people go crazy," he added with a smirk, ignoring Barret's shaking fist.

Cloud began to guide the sub slowly down the dark tunnel. The sound of roaring and slamming became quieter and quieter the further down the tunnel they went. All traces of sunlight were extinguished down here. The only source of light came from the sub, and even that was faint compared the overwhelming darkness.

Then, the sonar blipped. Tifa went back to her console and sat down, pulling the headphones back over her ears. Curious, she watched the screen. The sonar beeped again, a little louder this time, and a small dot appeared on the screen. The fighter raised an eyebrow. There was definitely something there, some way ahead.

"Hang on a second," she said. "I'm… picking something up. "Keep heading straight ahead, Cloud."

Cloud did as she told him. He slowed the submarine down until it was inching its way through the tunnel. Everyone kept their eyes on the view screen, scanning the pebbly ground outside, searching for signs of… something. The sonar began to beep rapidly, just as something came into view of the screen.

"What's that?" he said. He brought the sub to a stop and looked up at the screen.

There was an object there, sticking up out of the rock just a few metres ahead of the sub. Cloud inched the sub a little further forward to bring it into clear view of the lights. Then his breath caught in his throat and he stared in disbelief at the object.

It was a wooden stick, jammed tight into the rock. It was almost perfectly straight and had numerous branches growing out of it at intervals that were too well positioned to be pure coincidence. It looked very old and very delicate; in fact they were surprised it hadn't rotted away by now. Cloud thought it resembled one of those old-fashioned music box keys. A musical key…

Cloud rose out of his chair, his eyes fixed on the 'stick'. "Do you think it's…?" he began, but couldn't finish for fear he might curse it.

Nobody said a word. They waited in nervous anticipation as Cloud manoeuvred the sub until it was positioned over the key. The hatch on the underside opened and the grabber claw descended. The claw's fingers closed gently around the key, hooking beneath the branches, and began to pull it carefully out of the rock. Everyone held their breath as the claw pulled, terrified that the key might snap. The key moved slowly and eventually slid out of the rocks, intact. Everyone sighed heavily. The claw carried the key into the sub, and the hatch closed behind it. The computer hummed, analysing the key.

"…Analysis completed…" the computer said after a moment. "…Exact date of origin cannot be determined… …Estimated to be several thousand years old…"

"Key of the Ancients…" Cloud breathed. His heart was racing with the tension. The swordsman sank back into his chair, took a deep breath, and sighed heavily. He didn't know why, but he just _knew_ that this was the key they had been searching for. How it had ended up buried this far beneath the ocean he would never know, but that didn't matter now. What mattered was that, at last, they had found the 'key'.

They were so thrilled about having found the Key of the Ancients that they totally forgot about Emerald Weapon. They only remembered when they reached the entrance to the fissure and quickly slowed their pace, looking to see if Weapon was still there waiting for them to emerge.

To their surprise, Emerald Weapon had gone. There was no sign of the beast anywhere in the surrounding area—even the sonar showed no signs of it. They took this as a good sign and quickly made their escape, though more than a few of them began to wonder about Weapon's true intentions when it had chased them across the ocean.

They headed with all haste back to Junon, where they had left the Highwind. Stepping out of the sub into the sunlight and open air filled them with such indescribable relief that they had to stop for a moment to appreciate the feeling of the wind against their skin. The moment was dampened only by the sight of Meteor in the sky, reminding them of their mission.

They transported the key with the utmost care onto the airship. It was much stronger than it looked but they did not want to risk damaging it now, after all they had gone through to find it. Once it was fastened securely in the hold, they headed with all possible speed back to the northern continent.

They landed the Highwind once more outside of Bone Village. When they were preparing to disembark, Cait Sith suddenly announced that he would be staying behind. When asked why, the cat simply replied that he had some maintenance to take care of. Cloud decided not to press him on the issue, and so they left the cat onboard the Highwind and headed on to the Forgotten City.

Bugenhagen was where they had left him, waiting patiently beside the altar. When he saw the companions approach carrying the key, his old face creased into a smile.

"Oh! You've found it!" he said, and Cloud was irked to register some surprise in the old man's voice. Had he really doubted their ability to find it on their own?

The old man took the key from Cloud. He turned it over in his hands, examining it closely. He felt the wood: old and damp, but firm. He ran his fingers along the branches… Yes, this was indeed the 'key' that the Ancient's writing had spoken of. Bugenhagen nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand towards a strange structure on a small platform on the other side of the chamber.

"That Music Box over there," he said. "We'll put the key in it." He started to float away, but then stopped. "I'll go use the key," he told the companions. "You all wait here. And watch closely what happens."

They all watched as Bugenhagen left the altar and floated towards the platform. He stopped next to the strange structure that he had pointed out to them. It was made up of numerous rising crystal spikes of various sizes, all positioned loosely around a tiny hole in the rock. Next to this 'music box' as Bugenhagen had called it, was a tall, cylindrical pillar of rock.

Carefully Bugenhagen lifted the key and then lowered it gently into the middle of the box. The key's tip slotted into the hole with a gentle click, locking into place. Bugenhagen then let go of the key. It remained perfectly upright, its branches positioned perfectly between the numerous crystal spires.

"Ho Ho Hooo!" Bugenhagen chuckled, and stepped back to watch.

The key started to turn. As it moved the branches hit the many crystal spires, which rang out with a soft, high-pitched note. The more the key turned the more notes rang out throughout the chamber, playing an intricate yet beautiful melody.

As the song came to a close, there was a gentle rumble from deep beneath the audience chamber. The pillar next to the music box trembled and then slid down into the ground, like a switch that had just been turned on.

There was another rumble, this time from above the chamber. Everyone turned their eyes to the hole in chamber roof as a few droplets of water trickled through. Then a torrent of water flowed through the hole and descended upon the stone platform. It fell like a curtain over the altar, hiding the crystal and the slab from view. A moment later a bright glow began to shine from within the wall of water.

Tifa walked to the edge of the path, stopping before the waterfall. The water was crystal clear—she could see her reflection almost perfectly. She stretched out her hand and let the water slide onto her fingertips. It was deliciously cool against her skin, and the sunlight streaming in from above gave the water a shattered diamond effect. It was beautiful.

Bugenhagen floated up beside them, also admiring the waterfall. "Now, go inside," the old man told them. "Hope may be inside… Or…" He did not finish his sentence. He did not need to—they all knew what 'or' meant.

Cloud stepped up to the edge of the wall. He, too, placed his hand into the wall, letting the water splash onto his hands, his gloves, and his materia. It was just water. The swordsman stepped through the water until he came out of the other side, inside the barrier made by the water. He shook his head, shaking the water out of his spiky hair.

The others came through after him, until all were gathered around the altar. Bugenhagen came through last and immediately moved to float beside the crystal.

The crystal was glowing now. Its light filled the altar, reflecting off the water and casting its image about the water's surface. Bugenhagen watched as his own reflection danced about on the water, ever-shifting. As the light began to gather at a single point on the water, realisation dawned in the old man's eyes.

"This was just a screen to project an image!" he announced. He turned to Cloud and the others, who looked up at him in bewilderment. "Look!" he told them, pointing up at the waterfall. "Look at the image projected on the screen of the water!"

They did as he bade them and looked up at the water. At first they saw nothing: just the rippling reflection of the crystal. Then, as the light gathered, an image began to form. Cloud's eyes widened as he recognised the face now showing on the water. It was Aeris.

The Ancient was inside the City of the Ancients, the forgotten homeland of her predecessors. She was kneeling at the centre of the altar, her head lowered, eyes closed, and her hands clasped across her chest. Her lips moved voicelessly, as she prayed with all her heart for the one hope that could save the planet from Meteor.

Cloud watched the image in disbelief. Aeris looked so alive and so real…

Suddenly Aeris lifted her head. She looked directly ahead of her, which, incidentally, was right at Cloud and the others. Her face softened into a smile, as though she was truly alive and was happy to have seen them again.

Then Aeris was falling, as Sephiroth's blade left her body and took her life along with it. Her head dropped low and her eyes fluttered shut. They heard her last breath as it left her, soft and painless. Her pink silk ribbon, the one that she always wore, came loose and slipped from her hair.

There it was. The White Materia.

Now free from the ribbon, the White Materia fell onto the altar. When it hit the floor it bounced with a light clang. It did not stop but continued to bounce from pillar to pillar, until at last it fell from the final pillar and plunged into the water that lay at the foot of the city. It slipped quickly through the water, until it finally reached the bottom. It came to a stop, nestled among a pile of pebbles.

And then… as it lay still among the pebbles… the White Materia began to glow.

Holy had heard Aeris's prayer.

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

_Another chapter done, and another step closer to the end! I hadn't planned on an epic underwater battle with Emerald Weapon, but I figured, realistically, the sub wouldn't stand a chance and I haven't had a chance to include the finding of the Underwater materia._

_I'm still scripting for Crisis Core at the moment. I'm currently up to the bit where you make the wagon for Aerith. I'll get it done eventually._

_But now I'm torn, because I also really want to write up Final Fantasy 13, which is steadily becoming my favourite of all the games. I was tempted to restart the poll and include Final Fantasy 13 as an option (or even the other games, since I also had plans for FF8, 9 and Dissidia), but I don't know. Crisis Core is currently winning the poll, and it seems a shame to make people feel like their vote didn't count. I also had plans for writing up Kingdom Hearts, Shadow Hearts and Star Ocean (and even Klonoa, at one point), but if I do all these games I'll be writing till I'm an old biddy!_

_Please message me your opinions on whether you would like me to continue with the FF7 saga after this, or whether I should branch out into the other games! Your opinion is important to me!_


	33. Part Thirteen: Chapter 31

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-One**

Cloud gazed up in wonder at the vision on the screen. "…It's glowing," he breathed.

"Ho Ho Hooo!" Bugenhagen chuckled. "It's pale green!"

Cloud walked up to the edge of the altar. Reaching up, he placed his hand against the bottom of the screen. The image rippled at his touch. The White Materia was shrouded in an aura of pale green light, just as they had hoped it would be. The light it gave was gentle. It did not pulse or flash, nor did it emanate overwhelming power like its dark counterpart. It just shone, softly and gently. This was Aeris's final gift.

"…Aeris," said Cloud. "Aeris has already prayed for Holy." He let his hand fall back to his side, and the water fell smoothly once again. "…After I gave up the Black Materia to Sephiroth… Aeris's words came into my dreams… She said, she was the only one who could stop Sephiroth… And to do that, there was a secret here… That was Holy… That's why, she had the White Materia.

"Aeris knew about here…" Cloud continued, waving his hand to encompass the chamber and the rest of the city, "and what she had to do. Aeris has left us a great hope. But, it cost her her life… her future…" The swordsman looked up towards the roof of the chamber, where the water was still streaming in around the altar.

"I'm sorry… Aeris," he said. "I should have figures this out sooner. …You left without saying a word… It was all so sudden, so I couldn't think… That's why it took so long for me to find out… But, Aeris… I understand now. Aeris… I'll do the rest."

The only response Cloud got was the sound of the water as it splashed down from above onto the rocks below. He could only hope that, somewhere, Aeris had heard his words. Cloud felt a hand touch his shoulder, and he looked at Tifa, beside him.

"You mean, WE…" she corrected him, grinning widely.

"What Aeris left for us…" said Red XIII. "We can't let it go to waste."

Cloud looked around at his friends, all of whom concurred with the hound. Aeris's sacrifice had given them the hope they needed to stop Meteor from falling and save the planet. Cloud spread his arms wide and looked up at the sky.

"Thank you… Aeris."

One by one, everyone turned their own eyes to look up at the sky. Sunlight was streaming in through the hole in the ceiling, filling the altar with light. The light danced off the falling water and the surface of the crystal in the centre of the altar. The mood must have been getting to them, for they could almost feel Aeris smiling down at them, thankful that her prayer had finally reached them.

Cloud lowered his arms. "Aeris's voice has already reached the Planet," he told them. "Just look at the glow of the White Materia. But…" A troubling thought occurred to him and he paused. "How about Holy? How come Holy isn't moving?" The swordsman shook his head in puzzlement. "Why?"

"Something's getting in its way," replied Bugenhagen gravely.

A frown passed over Cloud's face. Something was getting in Holy's way. Or, rather, some_one_ was getting in its way. There was only one person on the planet Cloud could think of who had the power to stop Holy from moving.

"…Him…" said Cloud in a low voice. "He's the only one that could do it…" The others reached the same conclusion, and they shifted about uncomfortably. Cloud looked up at the sky once more and clenched his fists. "Sephiroth. Where are you?"

The image of the White Materia faded, and the companions left the altar. The water continued to fall even after they left. They gathered on the upper tier, silent. They had their answer from the White Materia: Holy was ready to move. But as long as Sephiroth lived, it would not be able to move. Cloud was just about to ask his friends what they should do next, when a loud ring broke the silence and made them jump.

"What the?" asked Cloud, startled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the PHS. He answered it. There came a shuffling sound on the other end, and then Cait's voice came through. His voice was low, barely a whisper.

"Sorry, I was a little surprised."

"What happened?" Cloud asked, just as quietly.

"You remember when the Junon Cannon disappeared? Actually, Rufus moved it."

Cloud's brow creased in thought. What was Cait talking about? Then it came back to him. It had been when they passed through Junon on their way to the Underwater Reactor. On the docks, Cloud had felt that there had been something… different, about the town. Something had been missing. At the time Cloud could not put his finger on it, but now that Cait had pointed it out, it became obvious what was missing. It was the cannon. But what was this talk of Rufus moving it?

"Moved it?" he asked, shaking his head. "That big thing…? Where…? Why?"

"Rufus wants to destroy Sephiroth with it," the cat whispered back. The shuffling sound came again, and Cait fell silent. When it passed, he spoke again. "That cannon operates on Huge Materia. But the Huge Materia has already been used in the Rocket Plan. So since the cannon's useless right now, he's decided to move it. To a place where Materia…" The cat paused. "No, where Mako is gathered…" he corrected.

Something about the way the cat hesitated before answering gave Cloud a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "And where is that!" he demanded.

* * *

Midgar: known as the Mako City, or the floating city in the sky. It was the place where it all began. Time once knew it as the city of dreams. People came from all across the world to live and find work in the great, mako-powered city. The people above the plate had lived comfortable lives, provided by the mako energy that the Shinra Company supplied. And the citizens always knew that they would be safe, protected by the Shinra Company's army and its prized military: SOLDIER.

Now, the city was completely different. The Shinra Company's officials had declared a state of emergency, and the army had been dispatched into the city to control the growing unrest. A helicopter flew around the main headquarters at all times, keeping a constant vigil. The entrance to the building was heavily guarded, preventing anyone from entering the building.

It had taken the Shinra army a while to disperse the crowds of angry and terrified civilians that had gathered outside the main building. They had come in droves, demanding that President Rufus come out and face up to what he and his company had done to the planet.

The Junon Cannon had been placed on the northern side of the city, at the edge of Sector 8. Scaffold had been hastily erected to support the gigantic barrel, which was pointing to the north in the direction of the northern continent. Pipes had been secured to outlets on the mako reactors separating the city's eight sectors, leading to a power generator at the base of the cannon.

At the designated time, these pipes would draw mako energy straight from the reactors and feed it into the cannon. The cannon, when activated, would fire shells of mako with such power and strength that they would traverse the vast ocean to the northern continent.

Heidegger, Head of the Security Department, had ordered that a barrier of soldiers and machinery be placed around the perimeter of Shinra Headquarters. He also dispatched the Turks at various places inside and below the building. He did this, he had said, to protect Shinra employees still inside the building.

However, this was just a ruse, as many employees had now realised. Heidegger did not care one jot about the safety of the rest of the Shinra employees. All these 'precautions', as he had so eloquently put it, were there to protect the high-ranking officials, such as himself and Scarlet. And as they realised further, the soldiers and Turks had not been put in place just to prevent the civilians from breaking _in_; they were also there to prevent employees from getting_ out_.

Someone once said that there was a high price to pay in order to leave Shinra. Many employees were now beginning to realise just how high that price was.

In the president's office on the upper levels of the Shinra Building, Rufus was holding what he hoped would not be his last meeting as president of the Shinra Company.

The situation had become grave. Their attempts to win back the support of the citizens by destroying Meteor had failed. His company was falling apart around his ears; employees were deserting left and right. The shadow of the Jenova Project hung as largely over them as Meteor did in the sky. But Rufus knew that there was no turning back now. All he could do was focus all of his attention on the one last chance that the Shinra Company had for survival. They had to focus all of the company's efforts and power and put an end to Sephiroth's shadow.

"…That's why, Reeve," the president said to the Head of the Urban Development Department. "It's your job to adjust the reactor's output."

Reeve Tuesti shifted uncomfortably. "I see…" he said, after a moment's thought. He looked down at the ground, torn. He did not like this plan.

Scarlet laughed loudly at Reeve's troubled face. "Don't worry about adjusting it, Reeve," she said to him, her voice mocking. Her lips twisted into a smile. "Once you open it up all the way, everything will go full speed!" Reeve looked at her. Even now, Scarlet was still sickeningly smug and cold.

Now it was Heidegger's turn to laugh. "The President's sure done it this time! If we can only defeat Sephiroth, the idea that Meteor will also disappear is based on different objectives!" He stroked his beard, equally smug.

"Please remember, Mr. President…" Scarlet added quickly with a look at Rufus. "It was my idea to fire Mako reactor powered shells."

Once again, Reeve shuffled about. Were these two_ still_ more concerned about petty things like scoring points and their own personal gain more than the safety of the people or the planet? Reeve turned slightly away from the two of them, hands clenching and unclenching, lost in thought.

Rufus, too, seemed more preoccupied with other things. "Will the shells really reach the northern border?" he asked Scarlet.

"Of course!" replied Scarlet confidently. She cackled to herself. She walked over to the window and began to inspect her nails. "But Mr. President, please do not call it a Mako cannon. This new weapon will be called… The Sister Ray!"

Reeve sighed heavily. The name of the cannon made little difference to the job it was being remodelled to do. Yet clearly it mattered to Scarlet, who wanted every bit of credit for the plan. If it wasn't for the fact that the cannon was being used as their last shot to destroy Sephiroth, Reeve would hope that it blew up in her pretty face.

He looked at the president. Rufus's brow was creased with concern, and his fingers drummed lightly against the edge of the table. Even Rufus had his doubts about this plan, Reeve realised. Scarlet's plan was a risky one and if it failed then Midgar would be completely defenceless against a Weapon attack. But it was the company's only remaining option, so Rufus would have no choice but to give it a try.

The meeting went on. As it continued, Reeve began to grow more and more uneasy. His fists tightened and he clenched his teeth. What should he do…?

* * *

After Cait's call, Cloud and the others hurried back through the Sleeping Forest towards Bone Village. They tried to move as quickly as possible, but Bugenhagen's older body was not able to keep up and so they were forced to slow down.

When they reached Bone Village, they came across a miner who was preparing to set sail for the western continent. He agreed to take Bugenhagen back with him. The old man gave his thanks and goodbyes and wished them luck in their endeavour. Cloud tried to persuade the old man to come with them, but Bugenhagen insisted that his presence would only serve as a distraction if they went into battle. He tried not to look at Red XIII as he said this but the hound, remembering his folly in their battle against Ruby Weapon, hung his head in shame.

They left Bugenhagen in Bone Village and hurried back to the Highwind. Cait Sith was waiting for them on the outer deck; he jumped and waved and called for them to hurry up. The companions picked up the pace and ran towards the airship.

As they neared it, Cloud suddenly stopped and looked around. There was something… different… about the air. It was strangely still and quiet, and had an almost ominous feeling. "…?" he muttered curiously.

Cid and the others reached the Highwind. They gathered around the foot of the ladder leading up to the outer deck where Cait was waiting for them. They did not seem to notice the strange lack of… _anything_… in the air. Cloud continued to look around. Tifa spotted him and called out to him. Her voice broke Cloud from his thoughts. It was probably nothing; just his mind playing tricks on him. He forced his worries out of his mind and ran to catch up with the others.

He had no sooner reached the airship than the ground began to shake. It came so suddenly and so violently that the swordsman was thrown onto his knees. The ground lurched up at him, throwing him off-balance. He heard the others also cry out, as they, too, were thrown aside by the quake.

Cloud raised his head. The Highwind was rocking from side to side as the quake shook it from its engine to its propellers. The airship groaned and the engines hummed loudly as the crew tried to lift the airship away from the ground and away from the quake. Behind him, Cloud heard a loud 'rip' as one of the trees from the nearby forest was ripped up by its roots and came crashing down. The quake raged on, showing no signs of stopping.

"Wh, what the…!" Cloud cried.

The earthquake's epicentre was a few miles away from where they were, at the entrance of a large inlet on the south-eastern side of the continent. The water began to heave from a point deep beneath the surface. It swelled and then burst upward as something tall and immeasurably large rose up from where it had been resting deep beneath the water. Something had awoken it, and now it had risen to the surface.

It was yet another Weapon. This one was known as Diamond Weapon. Its name did not come from its armour, which was dull, metallic silver but by the clearness of its eyes, which glinted like diamonds in the sunlight. It stood more than fifteen metres tall, and had a girth that was almost as long. It had gigantic legs the size of old oak trees and large, flat feet ending in five massive, sharp claws. Its arms were small in comparison, but its arms were not where its strength lay.

Diamond Weapon's main strength lay in the two giant, wing-like protrusions rising out of the back of its shoulder blades. These opened and closed at the front, hiding a set of small cannons inside its own body. A red light glowed at the centre of its torso and this pulsed madly as it rose out of the water.

As the last of the water slicked down its body, Diamond Weapon opened its jaws as wide as they could go and roared loudly. Its roar was piercing and made the water around it tremble. The beast looked around for a moment, before its gaze turned southwards. It flexed its hands, and its eyes flashed hungrily. Then Weapon began to move forward through the water, heading south.

Cloud and the others knew nothing of Weapon's appearance in the neighbouring inlet. When the quake ended they hurried onto the Highwind, preparing to head to Midgar to see if they could find out anything more about Shinra's new weapon. The information Cait had given them was limited, and they had to know if it was something they had to put a stop to before it was put into action.

The airship had just risen off the ground when the consoles in the bridge began to crackle with the piercing sound of static. Cid turned to a crewman on the nearest console. "What's wrong!" he demanded angrily.

"It's a strange signal!" the crewman reported.

Cid looked around the bridge. The static was affecting all of the consoles on the bridge. It was loud and buzzed in everyone's ears. Yuffie clamped her hands over ears. Red XIII, with his finer hearing, ducked his head low and shook his head, whimpering. Cid turned back to the crewman. "From where?" he asked.

The crewman nodded and turned to his scanner to locate the source of the static. When the report came up he frowned in puzzlement. He performed the scan again but the report came up with the same result. This couldn't be right. He did the scan a third time, in case the static had affected the scanner. He got the same result.

"It's coming from this… person?" he said, turning to look at Cait.

Everyone turned to Cait Sith. The cat looked back at them and tilted his head to one side, mystified as to why everybody was staring at him like that. The sound of the static came again, this time louder and more intense. Suddenly the cat's body stiffened, and then both he and his Mog jerked violently.

"Wow!" Cait exclaimed. His body relaxed, released from whatever strange force had suddenly gripped it. He shook his head. That was bizarre. For a moment, he had almost lost control of himself. Good thing it had passed…

The Mog then abruptly leaped forward, almost throwing the cat off its head. Cait tried to hold onto it, but his body shuddered again and he rolled onto his back, arms and legs twitching. "Hey!" he cried. The Mog hopped from foot to foot, and then began to spin slowly on the spot.

Cloud and the rest of the companions stared in astonishment as Cait and his Mog hopped about the bridge. It seemed as though the static was short-circuiting them both, causing them to move erratically. There was nothing they could do but watch as the cat struggled to bring both himself and his Mog back under his control.

Finally the static ceased, and the cat and Mog both came to a sudden stop. The cat flopped forward on the Mog's head and laid there, his body still. The others watched, unsure of what to do.

Cloud was just about to step forward to see if Cait was okay when the cat suddenly bolted upright, making everybody jump. The cat plonked himself down on the Mog's head and brushed himself down.

"That was a surprise," the cat commented, so casually he made it seem like nothing had happened. "The controls went crazy." He finished brushing himself down and began to adjust his crown. The Mog, too, made a show of cleaning itself up. Once the two of them were done, Cait led the Mog forward to the others. "This ain't good…" he told them. "Weapon came out of the sea and is heading straight for Midgar."

"The new weapon should stop him, right?" Cloud asked him.

Cait scratched his chin. "I don't know if it's ready or not…"

"Hey!" Barret pushed his way past Cloud and ran up to Cait. "What's gonna happen to Marlene!" he demanded of the cat, the muscles in his neck twitching in anger.

Cloud almost hit himself. Of course, Marlene was still in Midgar! With everything that had happened, he had completely forgotten about little Marlene. The girl had been taken prisoner by the Shinra along with Elmyra, Aeris's adoptive mother. Cait had used the situation to ensure that he continued to travel with Cloud and the others, with the proviso that if they let him travel with them, Marlene would stay safe. So far he had kept his word.

"Doncha worry none," said Cait with a grin. "Marlene's in a safe place. "She's with Aeris's mama."

Barret did not find this reassuring. All he could think of was that Marlene was still in the hands of the Shinra, and it angered him. It did not matter how many times Cait assured him that Marlene was safe—until he could hold her in his arms, he could not believe in Cait. His anger swelled. He walked away from Cait, scratching his head.

Cait Sith saw this and frowned crossly. "Barrett!" he snapped. He made the Mog leap forward to catch up with him, and stopped beside him. The cat stood up on the Mog and crossed his arms. "What was that scratching just now!" he demanded, his whiskers bristling. "As long as Marlene's safe, who cares what else happens, right?"

Barret did not reply. Cait Sith sighed heavily. As he had thought, Marlene's safety was the only thing Barret cared about. Never mind that there were thousands of other people living in Midgar at this very moment, all of them facing the very same danger. Cait Sith sat down on the Mog's head and sagged, his ears drooping low.

"I've been itchin' to say this to ya fer a while now!" said Cait. He looked up at Barret. "When ya blew the Midgar No. 1 up, how many folks d'ya think died?"

Barret shuffled uncomfortably. He refused to look at Cait. "…That was for the life of the planet," he mumbled in a low voice. "Ya gotta expect a few casualties."

"A few?" the cat repeated. He shook his head. "Whaddya mean 'a few'? What may be a few to y'all is everythin' to them who died… …Protect the planet. Hah!" This time the cat's anger was directed at everyone. He looked around at them all, from Cloud to Tifa, from Tifa to Cid and so on, sparing no one. "Y'all sure sound good! Ain't no one that'd go against ya. So ya think ya can do whatever y'all want?"

Now Barret turned and glared at the cat fiercely. "I don't wanna hear that from no one in Shinra," he said. He clenched his fist.

Cait sighed again and sagged down low on the Mog's head. "…Nuthin' I can do 'bout that…" he replied, with a touch of regret.

Tifa looked at Cloud desperately, silently pleading with him to stop this argument before it grew out of hand. It would be difficult to continue the journey if they started to fall out now, even if it was something that had been long coming.

Cloud, too, had had enough of this argument. When Barret raised his fist and started to walk toward the miserable-looking Cait, he snapped. "Stop it!" he ordered sharply.

Barret did as he was told and lowered his fists. He turned away from Cait Sith and stared out the window, refusing to look at him or anyone else.

Cait too, could not bring himself to look at anyone. He looked completely and utterly dejected, his ears drooping. Even the Mog looked sad, its feet shuffling on the floor.

An awkward silence fell. Nobody knew what to say that would break the icy tension. Eventually Tifa stepped forward to brave the storm. She walked over to Cait Sith and leaned down in front of him, looking up at his sad, furry face.

"Cait…" she said softly. "Barret, he knows what he did. What we did in Midgar can't be forgotten no matter what the reason. Right? We haven't forgotten, right?"

She looked at Cloud. The swordsman nodded. Yes, he remembered the things that they had done in Midgar. Barret could call it freedom-fighting if he wanted, but in reality it was just plain terrorism done in hate of the Shinra.

"I know you," Tifa continued, looking back at Cait. "I know you can't quit the company because you're worried about the people in Midgar, right?"

Cait turned his head to look at her. She met his gaze and nodded firmly. Slowly, the cat smiled. Perhaps he was right about this group, after all. Seeing his smile, Tifa stood up straight and turned to Cloud. "…Cloud?" she said.

Cloud nodded and turned to the rest of the group. "Okay!" he said in a loud voice, breaking the sombre silence. "Let's go! We'll beat Weapon ourselves!"

"Hey, Cloud…" Cid interrupted him, a little uneasy. "…You think we can win against that monster? We got a chance of winnin', right?"

"How would I know?" replied Cloud with a shrug. "But that's no reason for us to just let him go!" Cid scratched his head—the swordsman had a point. Cloud turned to the window. "We're goin' to Midgar and fight Weapon," he said. "Come on, let's move!"


	34. Part Thirteen: Chapter 32

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

It was decided shortly after takeoff that instead of heading straight to Midgar, the Highwind would make a short trip east to find Weapon. The pilot followed Cait's directions, leading them to the area where Weapon was reported to have surfaced.

They found Diamond Weapon just as it was leaving the inlet. The monster was making its way steadily through the water, heading in the direction of Midgar. It paid no heed to the airship as it passed by overhead. It had just one goal in mind, and all of its attention was focused solely on completing its task. The airship circled it once, as the crew took it in, before they turned south and sped off towards Midgar.

The plan was simple. They would land the airship a few miles outside of Midgar. Cloud and his friends would disembark, and the Highwind crew would move the airship to a safe distance to avoid attack. Cloud's crew, meanwhile, would wait for Weapon to arrive on land. When it reached them they would strike, and defeat it before Shinra had a chance to use their new weapon.

It took only ten minutes for them to reach the eastern continent. They spent a few minutes or so scooping out the area before landing the airship at the top of a small rise five miles from the perimeter of Midgar's furthermost border. After checking their weapons and materia, they began to disembark.

Before leaving the airship, Cloud took Cait to one side. He asked Cait if he would be willing to sit out of the upcoming battle and monitor the situation within Shinra. Cait said he was only too happy to stay behind.

Once Cloud and the others had left, the Highwind took to the air again. Although the crew's orders were to keep the Highwind at a safe distance from the battle they remained close by, wanting to keep an eye on what was happening below.

With the Highwind safely out of the way, Cloud and his companions turned their attention northward. They could see Weapon even from here, growing larger as it waded steadily through the water towards the continent. It took Weapon only a matter of minutes to reach the shore, and it began to make its way across the land.

Cloud unhooked the Buster Sword from the strap across his back and hefted the heavy blade onto his shoulder. Behind him he heard the others ready their own weapons. Immediately after there were numerous flashes of light, as the companions called upon their summons. There was Shiva and Ifrit, Ramuh and Odin, Titan and Leviathan. The summons gathered behind those who had called them, each one of them ready for the battle ahead.

Cloud raised his fist and called on his own summon materia. The red ball flashed red and a ball of light was fired into the air. The light grew and then shattered like glass, releasing the dragon that was contained within.

One of the most powerful of the Bahamut-class dragons, Bahamut ZERO was much sleeker than the rest of his brethren. His body was slender, with finely toned muscles and a layer of scales the colour of onyx that appeared so fine they seemed like ordinary flesh, and yet were harder than diamond. Six long wings protruded from the dragon's back. They beat the air as the dragon ploughed upward into the sky.

Diamond Weapon stopped at the foot of the rise. It looked up as Bahamut ZERO soared and then turned in mid-flight to make a swooping dive toward the ground close to where Cloud and the others stood waiting. Weapon's eyes passed over them. It must have known they were waiting to fight, for it suddenly roared angrily.

The sound of Weapon's almighty roar shook the ground. The monsters that were prowling the area turned and fled towards the mountains in the far south. Yet Cloud and his friends remained unmoving, refusing to budge even as Weapon tried to use its overwhelming might to terrify them into submission. Weapon was terrifying, of that there was no doubt, but that would not stop them from stopping its advance.

Cid turned to Cloud and said: "I'll ask again. You sure we can beat this thing?"

Behind Cloud, Ifrit roared angrily in response. The beast scraped his large feet on the ground, churning up the dirt in his eagerness to attack. Ahead, Diamond Weapon was no longer content to wait and stepped forward. "Only one way to find out," the swordsman replied. He raised his arm and then lowered it, signalling the attack.

As soon as the signal was given Ifrit dropped down onto all fours and began to storm across the grass toward Weapon. As he passed the companions Tifa leaped up onto his back. She wrapped the trailing ends of the beast's long, fiery mane around her fingers and held on tight as Ifrit charged, carrying her to Weapon.

Seeing Ifrit approach, Diamond Weapon lifted its large, flat foot and stamped on the ground in an attempt to crush Ifrit beneath it. The beast dodged sideways before leaping up onto the monster's leg, digging his claws into the thick, hard flesh. Ifrit then ducked his head down and began to concentrate all its energy. The beast's body grew brightly, and then an earth-shattering explosion wracked the air. Diamond Weapon roared in pain as flames engulfed its leg, causing it to stagger back.

Just as the flames exploded, Tifa took her chance and jumped off Ifrit's back. The force of the blast propelled her up and carried her through the air to the glowing red globe in the middle of Weapon's chest. The young fighter clenched her fist and hit out with all her might, intending to smash it into pieces.

Unfortunately she could not get anywhere near it, for her knuckles rammed hard into an unseen barrier that suddenly rose up to protect the globe. As though in retaliation that same invisible force lashed out and sent her flying back.

Tifa hit the ground hard. She rolled through the dirt, the ground and sky blurring as one as she tumbled over and over. Eventually she came to a stop and a shadow flew over her as Vincent, sitting astride Sleipnir, jumped over her.

Sleipnir galloped across the ground towards Weapon. Vincent drew his gun and began to fire at Weapon, trying to draw its attention towards him. His diversionary tactic worked. Weapon turned to follow the horse as it ran by. The monster leaned over and tried to snatch them up as they came within range, but the eight-legged stallion turned swiftly, keeping just out of Weapon's reach.

The moment that Diamond Weapon turned its back Odin and Cid, standing together, both raised their weapons and hurled them through the air. Cid's spear clanked innocuously off the back of the trailing cloak of armour that protected Weapon's rear. Meanwhile Odin's lance, thrown harder thanks to the summons's greater strength, landed in the cloak and stuck there, embedded in the 'armour'. The lance glowed bright and then exploded. The sudden blast knocked Weapon forward and it stopped, smoke and flames riding behind it.

Cid crossed his arms and looked up at Odin. "Don't you be gettin' cocky now," the pilot warned, only half-serious.

Without response Odin crouched down and then jumped up high into the air. The pilot looked at him in confusion, wondering if he had somehow offended him. Then Red XIII bounded up and leaped onto Cid's back, pushing the pilot facedown into the dirt. Weapon's fist then sailed overhead, narrowly missing them both.

When the fist passed Red XIII hopped off the pilot's back and Cid raised his head, coughing up dirt. "How about _you_ don't get distracted?" said the hound. Before Cid could reply the hound darted forward, with Titan running close behind him.

Weapon roared. The globe in its chest glowed bright as it charged up its main weapon. Knowing from experience what was coming, Red XIII and Titan split up, running in different directions. Weapon finished charging its laser and fired. The beam hit the ground where the two had been standing ripped the ground open, sending clouds of dirt and smoke and fire into the air.

The beam travelled upward, tearing up the ground as it went. The rest of the companions, who had been waiting for a chance to strike, were forced to flee as quickly as possible as the beam travelled past them. The ground erupted beneath them and sent them flying.

Cloud hit the ground and quickly scrabbled to his feet. The air around him was hot and scorched his throat until it was dry. The extreme heat and the flames from the blast zone sucked up the oxygen in the air and left him gasping for breath. His vision swam, and spots danced in front of his eyes. He needed to get away from the inferno before the oxygen was used up completely.

"Cloud! Over here!"

Cloud turned, half staggering, and looked behind him. Through the haze of smoke he saw Yuffie heading towards him, riding upon Leviathan's back. The serpent dived down through the smoke and burning air and flew low, his belly skimming the ground. He flew past Cloud, who forced his air-deprived body to jump up onto the serpent's back. The serpent then headed up and burst out of the thickening smoke, soaring above the flames.

As they flew above the flames, Cloud took in deep gulps of air. His throat was sore, burned by the heat, but he could not think about that. He scrabbled across the serpent's back until he reached Yuffie, noting that her face was pale. "You all right?" she asked him, glancing over her shoulder as he sat down behind her.

Cloud nodded his head in reply and then looked down at the battlefield. There was a long line of flames along the dried up earth, and smoke was billowing into the air. The others were scattered about, trying to surround Weapon and attack it from all sides, working alongside the summons. As he watched, Titan ran in front of Barret and caught one of Weapon's hands as the creature tried to knock the former resistance leader sideways.

The flames were still burning. A strong wind was beginning to blow, fanning the flames. Leviathan circled Diamond Weapon and then flew swiftly north towards the ocean. The serpent swooped down low and glided over the ocean's surface, and when he soared he brought the water with it. Leviathan screeched—almost deafening his human riders—and headed back towards Weapon, carrying the water with him.

The serpent came to a stop over Weapon. He flew in a large circle around the water that he had lifted from the ocean. The water began to churn, following the serpent's movements. When Leviathan increased his speed the water did the same, spinning faster and growing tighter. A whirlpool formed in the centre, spinning rapidly.

When he was ready, Leviathan screeched and dived straight down. He descended quickly, his body twisting in a tight spiral. The water fell with him, still churning and still spinning, following the serpent's movements as his body twisted around it. Hearing the roar of the water, Diamond Weapon looked up.

At the last instant Leviathan pulled away. He released his enchantment on the water, which plummeted down toward Weapon.

The water struck Weapon with enough force to shatter a large building. Tifa and the others on the ground had to brace themselves as the water hit the ground and caused it to shake violently. Spray filled the air and fell like heavy rain onto the companions. Water surged around their feet as the water fell away from Weapon. Despite the immense force that Weapon was hit with, it seemed to be unharmed.

Leviathan returned to level flight back in the sky. On his back, Yuffie and Cloud opened their eyes. Yuffie's face was paler still, and also a little green. "Hey, you!" she called out to the serpent with a shaky voice. "Next time you do that, let me get off first… ugh…" She keeled forward, clinging to the sea dragon's mane. Leviathan simply screeched in reply, and Cloud had the distinct feeling he was laughing at her.

His musings were broken when Bahamut ZERO suddenly flew past them, startling the serpent and almost knocking Cloud and Yuffie off his back. Yuffie shuddered and clamped her hand over her mouth, cursing under her breath about arrogant dragons.

It was lucky for her that Bahamut ZERO did not hear her, and the dragon kept on flying upward. Ramuh was on his back, kneeling down and surveying the battlefield, his staff in his hand. The old man then stood and raised his staff above his head. Lightning began to crackle around it, and Ramuh threw it towards the ground.

Weapon reached out a hand and caught the staff as it zipped by, much to everyone's surprise. The monster looked at the staff for a moment and tilted its head to one side. Then Weapon closed its fist around the staff, crushing it in its grasp. Yet as everyone's hopes fell, Ramuh simply smiled. The old man clicked his fingers.

A tremendous explosion rent the air around Weapon's hand. Weapon cried out in pain and confusion as lightning flashed up and down its body, electrifying it. The electric shock caused the monster's muscles to turn rigid, making it impossible for Weapon to open its fingers and release the weapon that was causing its pain. The water that covered its body only served to further enhance the strength of the lightning—this was the true intent of Leviathan's attack.

With Weapon momentarily frozen in place, Barret raised his gun-arm and fired a series of rounds up at the globe in the monster's torso. The bullets bounced off the invisible barrier, doing no damage to it at all.

Red XIII bounded past Barret and dived onto Weapon's ankle. The flesh here was softer than anywhere else and his teeth sank straight in. The hound jerked his head, but the flesh was too tough to tear. He did do some damage, though, and his mouth was filled with the bitter taste of mako. Even so, the wound was a superficial one, barely even a scratch to a creature the size of Weapon.

This fact was proven when Weapon, outraged, reached down and brushed his hand against his ankle. He swiped Red XIII off in one swift, easy moment, sending him skidding across the ground and into the arms of Odin, who rushed in to catch him.

Diamond Weapon turned and began to head towards them. Odin, carrying Red XIII over his shoulder, leaped back out of the way just as Weapon's foot slammed into the ground. The armoured warrior moved quickly across the ground, running from side to side to avoid Weapon's grasping hands.

All of a sudden Weapon stopped and its attention was drawn to the ground by its feet. A patch of ice had formed on the grass, and it was growing larger with every second that passed. The ice thickened and grew larger. It spread over Weapon's left foot and grew higher to encase its entire leg. Weapon tried to move its leg but found that it could not move—the ice was so strong that it was not able to break free.

Weapon raised its head and looked at Shiva, who was standing nearby. The maiden's arms were raised in front of her as she used her power to trap Weapon in a shell of ice. Once one leg was firmly trapped in an unbreakable casing of ice, the maiden turned her attention to the monster's right leg. Frost began to form in patches along the diamond-hard flesh of Weapon's thigh, growing and spreading down to its ankle.

Seeing the ice forming, Weapon roared and endeavoured to break free before both of its legs became trapped. It twisted its hips and tried to lift its feet off the ground. The ice held, but Shiva was feeling the strain. The ice's growth slowed, and cracks began to appear in the ice's white surface. Shiva's brow furrowed and she closed her eyes tight, drawing upon every last ounce of her power to keep the ice together.

Tifa could see Shiva struggling to maintain the ice's strength. At any moment Weapon would break free. Realising this Tifa turned to Vincent, who was riding close by on Sleipnir. "Vincent!" she called out to him. "Give me your materia!"

Vincent shook the Ice materia out of his gun and threw it to Tifa as he rode by. The young fighter caught it and turned to Weapon. Holding the Ice materia out in front of her, she added her own energy to Shiva's and aided her in reinforcing the ice. The growth of the ice increased and the cracks began to heal. The ice spread up Weapon's leg and over its torso, heading for the globe at its centre.

Meanwhile, Weapon continued to strain against the ice, even as it rose up around its waist and spread up onto its chest. When the ice touched the barrier protecting the red glove the creature roared in anger. Sparks of red light began to flicker around the globe as the ice spread over it.

The beam fired, and the ice broke apart with a loud_ CRACK._ Giant chunks of ice from its waist and right thigh were thrown away and went hurtling towards the ground. One chunk narrowly missed Vincent and Sleipnir, who galloped quickly out of the way. Another chunk headed towards Ifrit, who was about to charge. The ice hit Ifrit, and the fiery summon was thrown back and hit the ground hard. He rolled and eventually came to a stop. The beast tried to stand but failed, and flames swept over his body as he returned to the world from where had been summoned.

One large piece of ice shattered when it hit the ground, sending a cloud of icy shards as sharp as glass sweeping across the land. Tifa raised her arms to shield her face as dozens and dozens of tiny ice fragments hit her. They cut into her arms and legs like thousands of tiny daggers. Her skin burned with an icy cold, but was quickly warmed by her own blood as it trickled from the many tiny wounds.

Shiva was too exhausted by her efforts to trap Weapon to defend herself. The ice cloud struck her with full force, and she fell back to the ground. Her body crystallised into a statue of ice and then, like Ifrit, she too vanished.

Weapon started to turn and wrenched its left foot off the ground. It then slammed its foot down, breaking what was left of the ice that was holding it. The ground trembled as the lumps of ice hit the ground and tumbled across the hillside. Sleipnir galloped between the chunks as they rolled by, and Leviathan dived down to bat the chunks away with his tail. Cid picked up his spear and hurled it at a piece that was heading for Barret. The spear's point cleaved the ice, which fell away and stopped rolling.

Once again Weapon slammed its foot into the ground. It leaned down and tried to snatch Red XIII from the ground but the hound, with his more agile body, leaped easily out of the way. Realising that snatching was not going to work, Weapon clenched its fist and struck downwards in the hopes of crushing the hound instead.

Red XIII saw the shadow fall over him and he looked up to see Weapon's fist heading towards him. He froze, and would have been smashed into the ground if Titan had not at that moment shoved him out of the way and caught hold of the fist seconds before it hit the ground. Weapon's eyes flashed in annoyance at this interference and began to press down with all its strength. Titan struggled and pushed back, though it would not be long before Weapon's superior strength overcame him.

Red XII scrabbled back to his feet and turned to Titan. "That's enough!" he howled. "Titan, withdraw!"

Titan grunted through gritted teeth. The summon materia in Red XIII's hair clip glowed bright and Titan disappeared. With Titan gone Weapon's fist smashed into the ground, going at least two metres deep into the dried out soil.

Up in the sky, Leviathan continued to survey the battlefield. Cloud held onto the dragon's scales as he leaned over. He watched as his friends attacked Weapon from all sides, while Weapon attempted to literally 'stamp' them out. Their weapons were easily rebuffed by Weapon's armour. Only the summons seemed to do any damage, as he saw when Odin threw his lance and pierced the armour of Weapon's thigh. Green mako trickled from the open wound, and Weapon bellowed in pain.

Cloud turned his attention upward. Until now, Bahamut ZERO had been keeping out of much of the battle, waiting for a chance to strike. The dragon saw his chance when those below pulled away as Weapon fired a shot of blue energy from its mouth. Bahamut ZERO tilted his wings and fell into a steep and speedy dive. He zipped past Leviathan—once again causing Yuffie to shout at him—and headed for Weapon.

The dragon slammed his body into Weapon, striking with more force than the Junon Cannon. The impact pushed Weapon back about fifty metres to the edge of the rise. At this point Weapon recovered from the initial shock and dug its claws into the ground, holding firm. It gripped Weapon's shoulders and tried to shove the dragon away, but Bahamut ZERO clamped his powerful jaws into the creature's shoulder and refused to let go. The two were locked in a standoff, each pushing against the other, waiting for one to weaken and relinquish the fight.

Not content to stand around and wait for the dragon to weaken, Diamond Weapon opened its mouth. A faint blue light glowed in its throat as it gathered up mako from the pit of its stomach to fire at Bahamut ZERO.

Seeing this, Cloud grasped Yuffie's arm. "Tell Leviathan to get down there!" he told her sharply.

Yuffie did not hesitate and called out to Leviathan. The serpent obeyed her without question and dived down towards Bahamut ZERO and Weapon. Pulling up at the last possible moment, Leviathan zipped over Bahamut, just close enough for Cloud to jump off. He landed on Bahamut and began to run across his back towards the dragon's neck. When he reached the neck he drew his Buster Sword and leaped into the air, just as Weapon fired a single blue shot at the dragon's undefended back.

Grasping the hilt of the Buster Sword, Cloud swung it with all his might in a swift, upward stroke. The edge of the blade hit the energy shot and cut straight through, cleaving it into two. As the blade came through the other side the two halves separated and went firing off in different directions, landing in the ground on either side of Bahamut.

Cloud kept on moving. He reached up with one hand and caught the edge of the armoured plating at the top of Weapon's chest. The swordsman pushed one foot against the creature's torso and pulled himself up onto Weapon's shoulder. He looked up and saw Weapon's diamond-eyed gaze looking at him angrily. Cloud raised his sword and brought it down upon the joints of Weapon's neck. The blade cut deep into the armour, and mako oozed out of the wound. He struck again, and again, cutting deeper each time.

Angered and in pain, Diamond Weapon raised one hand and knocked the swordsman away. Cloud went flying back, losing his grip on the Buster Sword, which spiralled away from him. Seeing his summoner fall, Bahamut released his hold on Weapon and jumped back. Cloud crashed into the hard, metallic leather of the dragon's foremost left wing and rolled down until he landed with a thud on the dragon's back.

Now that it was free, Weapon opened its mouth and fired a series of energy shots at the dragon in front of it. The shots ripped through the dragon's six wings, leaving giant, gaping holes in their wake. Another hit the dragon's right flank, burning the skin and muscle and dark blood came oozing out of the wound. The sickening scent of burned flesh filled the air as smoke rose from the dragon's wounds.

One final shot hit Bahamut ZERO in the side of its face. At this the dragon screeched in pain and fury. He reared up on his hind legs, clawing at his wounded face. As he reared up Cloud lost his grip and went sliding down the dragon's back, falling off the edge of the dragon's hind legs and landing on the grass. The swordsman rolled as Bahamut ZERO's foot stamped down on the grass close to him. He scrabbled back out of the way and looked up at the dragon.

Bahamut ZERO tried to open his mouth and fire his main weapon. A hot glow began to rise in his throat, but all that came out was a rising column of steam. This effort put Bahamut ZERO in even more pain and the dragon, outraged by the assault, began to thrash about wildly. He no longer cared about his summoner's safety or the safety of anyone else on the field. All the dragon cared about now was to smash up anything and everything that got in his way.

His tail lashed and hit the ground near to where Barret and Red XIII were standing. Another swipe of that tail almost send Vincent and Sleipnir flying. All the while Weapon stared, mouth open and glowing, watching silently as the dragon thrashed.

Realising that the dragon's presence was now a threat to them, Cloud took the summon materia out of his gauntlet and lifted it up above his head. The materia flashed once, and the dragon vanished in a shower of light.

Cloud struggled to his feet. The Buster Sword lay a few feet away, embedded in the ground after Bahamut had stamped on it. The swordsman staggered over to it and bent down to pick it up. A sharp pain went up his arm as he lifted it and he dropped to his knees, holding his arm. Tifa ran over and put her hands on his shoulders, but he waved her away. He forced himself to his feet and held the Buster Sword out in front of him. He could not succumb here, not until Weapon had fallen. With a great effort he raised his sword, preparing to charge forward.

It seemed he did not need to, for Weapon was no longer trying to attack them. The monster had closed its mouth, and the pulsing glow of the globe in its torso had faded back to a dull, constant light. Weapon's head was turned up towards the sky, and its eyes were moving this way and that, seemingly searching for something. The creature stepped back away from Cloud and the others, but it was no longer interested in them. Something else, it seemed, had drawn its attention.

One by one the others cautiously lowered their weapons. They watched as Diamond Weapon's head turned sharply southward. Its eyes calmed, and the monster turned away from the companions and began to make its way slowly across the ground, making the ground shake with every step.

Cloud lowered his sword and ran forward. He stopped before a patch of churned up earth and watched as Diamond Weapon stomped away from them. The edge of its shadow passed over him, and he covered his eyes from the afternoon sunlight.

His eyes turned in the direction of Midgar where Weapon was headed. There were storm clouds moving in from the south, heading in their direction. Something about them gave Cloud a very uneasy feeling in his stomach. No, it was deeper than that. It was a feeling that he felt in his very soul… He sheathed his sword and watched the clouds.

Cid came to stand beside him. "What's wrong?" he called up to Weapon, irritated. "It's like you're blowing us off!"

Cloud returned his gaze to the landscape before him, and to Weapon, who continued to walk in the direction of Midgar. "No it's… Feeling something," he said. He shook his head and looked back up at the black storm clouds. There was definitely a strange yet recognisable feeling in the air. "…Yeah, it senses murder."

Around him, the others shifted uncomfortably. They were tired out from the battle, their bodies battered and bruised. Yet even in their tired, bruised state they too could feel the sense of murder in the air. It was thick and pungent, like a bad taste they could not swallow. What was this feeling, and whose murder were they sensing?

Leviathan landed a few metres away, and Yuffie jumped off. She ran to rejoin the others, while Leviathan, Odin and Ramuh, the only summons that remained, shimmered and vanished, their powers no longer needed.

"Okay," said Yuffie, face pale and hopping anxiously. "Can we GO now!"

Cloud nodded. He did not know how, but somehow he knew that it would be dangerous to interfere with Weapon now. They had done all they could. Their assault had been all but ineffective. Now they could only hope that Shinra's new weapon would be enough to stop it.

Everyone turned and began to run back along the grass. The Highwind was already moving in to pick them up, landing at the top of the rise.

Cloud paused to take one last look at Weapon. The monster had its back to them and was still making its way towards Midgar. He hoped that Shinra's new weapon would be enough to repel it, otherwise Marlene and all the other innocents in Midgar would be in grave danger. Still, he could not worry about that now. They had done all they could.

He was about to turn and follow the others when the PHS suddenly rang. Cloud pulled it out and flipped it open. He had no sooner opened it than Cait's shrill voice came screeching out at him.

"Oh no! Let's hurry out of here! Something big… I'm talkin' REALLY BIG'S comin'!"

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

Well, this battle ended up slightly longer than I intended, but oh well. XD It's also not one of my favourite battle scenes, but when you're restricted with timing, you can't just go all out in flushes of glory. I did try to make it a heavily summon-based battle, though, as a change. So I hope you like it.

And on another note, it is roughly ten weeks now until my holiday in Florida. So I have roughly ten weeks to finish this. Let's see if I can finish this in ten weeks!


	35. Part Thirteen: Chapter 33

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

Rufus paced about his office, impatiently waiting for news on the cannon. He had been told that Weapon had arrived on land, and he also knew that at this moment Cloud and his friends were out there fighting it. At first Rufus had toyed with the idea of sending a patrol of soldiers out to aid the fight, but decided against it. Let Weapon play with the rebels. Every second it wasted on them, Rufus reasoned, the more time they had to finish their preparations.

Rufus stopped pacing and looked out of the windows of his office, formerly his father's. There were storm clouds heading in from the south. He could see them already: thick, black, heavy clouds rolling in, the air broken by a few rumbles of low thunder. The untimely arrival of this storm concerned him. It was reportedly going to be one of the biggest storms Midgar had seen in about seven years (though the details on the true nature of the storm that day was kept firmly under wraps, and not even Rufus knew about it). Worse, the storm was heading straight for Midgar.

Finally the intercom crackled. Rufus turned away from the window and approached the desk, resting his fingers lightly on it. Heidegger's deep, irritating laugh came bellowing through, giving Rufus the news that he had been waiting for.

"Mr President, preparations for the Sister Ray are now in order."

The intercom crackled again, and Scarlet's high-pitched, cackling laugh echoed through, cutting over Heidegger's voice. "Anytime is fine," she said.

Rufus started to reply, but then he paused and shut his mouth. His fingers drummed on the edge of the desk. Like Reeve, the president had his own concerns about this plan, though his were more focused on whether or not the mako shells fired by the cannon were strong enough to reach the northern continent. An almost impenetrable barrier protected the North Crater. The cannon, the Sister Ray, was Shinra's last attempt to break through and take out Sephiroth. With Sephiroth gone then Meteor would disappear too, or so they hoped. But if the shell failed to break through…

Angrily the president clenched his fist and slammed it into the table. There was no room for doubts now. They were pouring everything that they had into this weapon. He had to believe that it was strong enough to do the job. All he had to do was give the order to fire.

Rufus turned back to the window. His fists were still clenched. The president ignored the fast-approaching storm and looked out at the city.

"…Fire."

* * *

On Rufus's command, the Sister Ray sprang into life. The many levers along the side of the cannon began to swing up and down as the cannon entered its Primary Phase, which was to draw all the mako out of the reactors surrounding Midgar. White and blue warning lights lit up along the length of the cannon, and a siren began to wail from below, warning all those still gathered outside to run for safety. Only the soldiers guarding the Shinra Building's entrance remained outside, headphones over their ears to protect them from the upcoming blast.

On the city's outer edge, the top of Reactor No. 2 opened up. Mako energy surged up from inside and gushed up into the air. Its green glow illuminated the darkening sky and cast an eerie glow on the sector below. The mako was scorching, with most of it rising in clouds of hot steam, though some droplets fell like rain onto the city below.

The No. 3 Reactor followed suit, opening up and releasing its contents into the air. The No. 4 did the same and the No. 5, and so on, until all seven Mako Reactors were lit up like beacons around the city. The glow of the No. 7 Reactor fell spookily on the remains of Sector 7, making the wreckage appear even more dark and desolate.

Inside, valves opened up in the reactor cores and released the thousands of gallons of mako that had been stored for productive use. The mako surged down the pipes attached to the valves, leading to the reactor's exterior and from there to the Sister Ray itself. Three of those pipes led straight into the barrel itself, collecting the mako in a chamber at the back to be formed into the shell. The remaining mako in the four other pipes was fed directly into the power station at the back of the cannon. This would generate the force necessary to fire the shells all the way across the ocean.

When the last of the energy had been siphoned out and into the cannon, the clouds of mako that were spewing from the tops of the reactors ceased. All power to the city stopped, and the city was plunged into darkness. Every single light, TV and machine went off. For the first time in its history, the city of Midgar was silent.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then sparks of light began to flicker around the end of the barrel. The light gathered and began to swirl in front of it, growing faster and faster until it became a churning whirlpool of energy.

The numerous switches alongside the cannon flicked up into the ON position. Every valve and container was thrown wide open, allowing the recently obtained mako to flow freely throughout the cannon. The switches locked in place and turned in a clockwise direction, in time with the internal shafts that pumped the mako through the cannon, increasing its power. When the power reached its max, the swirling lights were sucked inside the barrel, and then… the cannon fired.

The shot caused the cannon to recoil violently. The thunderous boom that came with the shot caused all the windows in the Shinra Building to shatter. Thousands of deadly glass shards went tumbling down like rain towards the soldiers and civilians still gathered outside. Unlike the soldiers with their armoured helmets, the civilians had no means to shield themselves from the falling glass, and so they dropped down to the ground and covered their heads or ran for the safety of the Shinra Building.

The mako shell that was released went zipping off at more than 100mph. It passed the borders of Midgar in a matter of seconds. It gained in speed until it was travelling at just over 200mph across the withered land. The shell glowed white-hot as it moved, and it was churning up the dry land as it whooshed northward, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. It showed no signs of slowing, and powered onward.

Rufus, in his office, smiled and ran a hand through his hair. Everything was in motion now. All he had to do was wait and let the shell do the rest.

* * *

Diamond Weapon came to a stop at the very edge of Midgar's outer perimeter, where the withered land came to a stop. It turned in the direction of the city, its eyes focused on the horizon where Midgar stood. It paid no attention to the Highwind, which was flying along steadily behind it, keeping at a safe distance.

A slit appeared in the front of the wing-like protrusions sticking out of Weapon's massive shoulders. It spread from end to end, and the wings opened up, revealing a weapon the monster had not yet used. The inside of his shoulders were filled with a barrage of bio-machine guns, powered from Weapon's very own life energy to release an unstoppable volley of energy shells.

On its torso, the armour partially covering the globe in the centre opened up. Embers of yellow light began to gleam around the globe and around the bio-guns in its shoulders. When it was ready, Diamond Weapon spread its palms. Its eyes narrowed and it opened fire, releasing several glowing missiles in quick succession. These missiles shot through the air at high speed.

Cloud and his companions stood on the Highwind's outer deck. As Weapon opened fire, they all rushed to the edge of the railings and leaned far over, watching the shells as they zipped away from them.

"Which direction is it going to attack from?" Tifa shouted. Her voice was barely audible against the unending roar of the wind.

"Midgar!" Red XIII called in reply.

Barret's eyes widened in fear. He leaned even further over the rail and reached out with his good arm, though he was helpless to shop the shells as they headed to the city where his daughter was still held captive.

"Marlene!"

There was nothing anyone could do to stop the shells. They had already disappeared over the edge of the horizon. All they could do was cross their fingers and hope.

There was one cross-section where the paths of the energy shells and the path of the Sister Ray's mako shell collided. Some of the energy bullets fell right into the mako shell's path, and on contact the bullets flashed and disintegrated, burned up by the intense heat. Many others, though, made it through and carried on towards Midgar. Undeterred by the collision, the mako shell continued north.

Diamond Weapon's shoulder guns closed, and the monster waited. Its body was perfectly still—not even its eyes betrayed any signs of movement. The Highwind flew above it at a safe distance, but Weapon was no longer paying them any heed. All of its attention was fixed on the land ahead. It seemed to be waiting for something.

There was a long pause. Then, a blue speck of light appeared on the edge of the horizon. It was small at first but grew rapidly, moving at incredible speed. It was also directly in Weapon's path. The monster did not budge but instead braced itself as a strong wind began to blow around it.

The light belonged to the mako shell. It struck Weapon right in the middle of its chest. It shattered the barrier protecting the red globe and went straight on through until it came out of Weapon's other side. Impaled on the beam, Weapon found itself being lifted off its feet and driven forcibly backwards. The monster was carried about twenty metres before the mako shell finally broke through Weapon's back, releasing the creature and continuing northward, still undeterred.

Diamond Weapon hit the ground hard. The mako shell had burned a giant hole in its chest that covered much of its torso. The red globe had been burned away; the only glow left now was the red-hot glow of its burning flesh and muscle, a sickening sight to behold. Weapon roared in agony as it hit the ground. The monster bounced once off the ground and then hit the earth again. The ground shook each time it landed. Weapon skidded a further ten metres down the countryside before it finally came to a stop. The monster twitched and then fell still. It did not move again. Its eyes, though, were still bright, gazing up at the darkening sky.

Up on the Highwind, the companions were in awe by what they had just witnessed. Awestruck… and horrified. Weapon was a mighty, terrible creature and yet, somehow, to see it lying there with a great, smouldering hole in its chest made them feel sort of… sad. As they watched, the lights of Weapon's eyes died out. Trails of mako began to rise from its body as it started to return to the planet. Tifa covered her face with her hands, unable to watch any longer.

The last traces of Diamond Weapon faded away. Barret stepped back away from the railing. "Damn…" was all he could say.

Red XIII shook his head. "It went right through Weapon…"

Cloud leaned over the rail again. He looked north. There was no sign of the mako shell. He frowned, confused. If the weapon was designed only to repel Weapon's attack, then the shell should have been destroyed on contact. If that was the case, why had it carried on moving? Where else could it be heading?

The answer then came to him, and realisation dawned in his eyes. "I see!" he said. "They're after Sephiroth. The crater on the Northern boundary!" Once again everyone leaned out over the rail, wishing that they could see that far north.

* * *

By the time Cloud and the others realised Shinra's true intent, the mako shell had already crossed the ocean and was zipping rapidly across the vast, icy mountains of the northern continent. Now travelling in speeds excess of 250mph, it sailed over the mountains towards the Northern Crater.

Since the events at the Northern Crater, when Sephiroth had used the Black Materia to summon Meteor, the entrance to the crater had been sealed off. To ensure that no one interfered with his plans, Sephiroth had created a barrier around the entrance, making it impossible for Shinra or anyone from getting anywhere near. The barrier repelled any attack that Shinra could throw at it. The Sister Ray was the company's last shot at breaking through and stopping Sephiroth from destroying them all.

The shell left the last of the mountains behind and sailed over the thick forests and icy plains surrounding the crater. The barrier was just ahead—a glowing white arc over the surface of the crater.

The shell slammed into the side of the barrier. On contact a thunderous explosion rent the air, causing the entire Northern Crater to shake down to its foundations deep beneath the earth. The air was filled with a blinding white light as the shell caused the barrier's exterior to crack, and bolts of electric energy danced over its surface. The light faded. The barrier shimmered… and then disappeared.

* * *

Rufus stood by the broken window of his office, waiting, still impatiently, for news on the outcome of the cannon's attack. The mako shell should have reached the Northern Crater by now, he thought. He looked out at the cannon. The Sister Ray was now in the process of being powered down. As the power was restored to the reactors, lights began to come on all across the city.

Finally, the intercom crackled. "Sir!" said an operator. Heidegger and Scarlet must be busy aiding in powering down the Sister Ray, Rufus thought. "Weapon's been defeated! The barrier has disappeared!"

Rufus turned from the window and walked back to his desk. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed. So their risk had paid off after all. And better yet, they had managed to take out one of the planet's Weapons at the same time. A smile passed over Rufus's face. It seemed that they had not needed Cloud and his gang of rebels after all. The Shinra Company was more than capable of defending itself.

He was just about to relax when the intercom buzzed once again. The smile vanished from Rufus's face. The operator's voice, filled with panic, came trembling through.

"Sir! A mass of high density energy is heading towards Midgar!"

Rufus spun around to face the window and looked out at the city. His body went cold, and his breath caught painfully in his throat. It couldn't be…

Just as the operator had said, a number of large energy shots were hurtling across the sky towards Midgar. Although Weapon had been defeated and had returned to the planet, the shots that it fired did not. These high density energy pellets now began to tear across the city like miniature meteors, lighting up the darkened sky.

The citizens who had gathered in the streets after the city became dark watched the sky in captivated terror as dozens of energy pellets rained across the city.

"WHOOA—Weapon's attacking!"

"Run for your lives!"

All at once the people scattered and began to swarm the streets of Midgar, as fear and terror finally took hold of them. The sight of Meteor in the sky, the thunderous boom of the cannon, and now the arrival of the energy pellets above the city finally snapped whatever shred of composure and self-restraint the people had left. They ran over each other, trampled and pushed past one another, and screamed in complete fear as they ran to escape the city. Yet as they quickly discovered, the exits to each of the sectors were still sealed off. There was no escape.

Luckily for the panic-gripped citizens, most of the pellets were much too high to hit any of the smaller buildings and homes and as such sailed harmlessly overhead. The larger buildings however, such as the Shinra Building, were not so lucky.

Rufus watched in silence as the seemingly endless bombardment of energy pellets soared past his office.

It should be said that Rufus was strangely calm despite the situation. He did not run or scream or cry like the rest of the panicked populace of Midgar. That was not the way of Rufus Shinra.

He watched as an energy pellet struck one of the lookout towers at the side of the Shinra Building. The tower exploded into flames. Clouds of thick, billowing smoke rose into the air in front of Rufus's office. The president watched as the smoke cleared, and then looked straight ahead. There was another energy pellet approaching, and it was heading straight towards his office.

Rufus watched it draw near, his eyes stern and unflinching, showing no fear. He had been wrong, after all. It was not Shinra who would defeat Sephiroth and save the planet from Meteor. No. That duty now fell to Cloud and his friends. It was up to them to stop Sephiroth now. Perhaps it had always been their duty, and Shinra had simply paved the path for them to follow to achieve that goal.

The energy shot hit the Shinra Building just below Rufus's office. It detonated on contact, shaking the building down to its foundations. A wall of blistering hot flames surged through the office's broken window, rapidly turning it into a blazing inferno.

The force of the blast sent Rufus careening backwards. He raised his arms to shield his eyes as the extreme heat of the flames swept swiftly through the office. Behind him, the desk and chair were thrown back and crashed onto the floor. The flames continued to spread at an unbelievable speed and blocked the two main stairwells—the only exits.

Rufus Shinra, President of the Shinra Company, was trapped.


	36. Part Thirteen: Chapter 34

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

With Weapon defeated, Cloud and the others returned to the bridge of the Highwind to plan their next move. Outside the Highwind, a strong wind was beginning to blow from the south as the impending storm clouds drew ever closer. They would be over the city of Midgar within an hour at the most.

Cloud looked out the window and folded his arms across his chest. He was thinking about Holy. What kind of magic was Holy that it would bring an end to Meteor? His thoughts turned darker. Meteor was already so close… what if it was already too late for Holy? Then there was the added worry of what would happen to_ them_ if Holy was unleashed. The swordsman shook those thoughts from his mind. Whatever Holy was, Aeris had put all her faith into it—had given her life for it. Worrying about their lives was meaningless, not when the whole planet was at stake. Aeris had understood that: they had to honour that belief that Holy would do what was best for the planet.

But for that to happen, they first had to defeat the one who was holding Holy's power in thrall. As long as _he_ still existed, the planet would never be safe.

Cloud turned from the window. "What happened to… Sephiroth?" he asked aloud. He tapped his foot against the floor. The eyes of other others were on him, waiting for him to make a decision. Eventually Cloud nodded his head, his mind made up. "Northern Cave… Let's go see what happened to it."

Cid barked an order at the pilot, who immediately turned the airship around and began to fly north as fast as it could go. Within minutes they passed over the shores of the eastern continent, following the mako shell's route to the Northern Crater.

It was not long before they passed over the last of the mountain ranges and came to a slow stop about half a kilometre away. The energy barrier had gone—Shinra had succeeded. Cautiously the Highwind moved forward and hovered at the edge of the crater. Cloud and the others crowded around the window and peered out.

"Sephiroth's energy barrier is gone…" Cloud observed. He looked down into the hole. At this time of day the light of the sun did not shine into the crater, making it appear incredibly dark inside—he could see nothing inside. Cloud turned from the window. "Cid! Can the Airship get inside?"

"Huh?" Cid scowled and rubbed his nose, before patting the Highwind's pilot roughly on the shoulder. "He's my student, ain't he! Of course he can go anywhere!" At this the pilot beamed, practically glowing with pride, touched by this compliment from one of the most prestigious pilots on the planet.

Cloud scratched the back of his head, feeling rather sheepish under the pilot's insulted gaze. "Right," he said hesitantly, "sorry about that." He glanced at Tifa. The young woman covered her mouth and giggled.

Barret watched all this with little interest. His thoughts were on Marlene. Was she safe? He had little doubt that Elmyra would do her best to ensure that Marlene was unharmed by Shinra. But not even Elmyra could protect the little girl from Weapon. Even he had not been able to defeat that monster. Well, he probably_ could_ have if Shinra had not intervened.

Shinra… the name still made him furious inside. He looked over at Cait, intending to ask more about Marlene. However, when he turned to the cat he saw that Cait had other things on his mind. He had his back to Barret and the others and appeared to be drumming his fists angrily against the Mog's head. The Mog, in turn, hopped from foot to foot.

"Yo, Cait! Now what?" called Barret irritably. This was not a good sign.

For a moment Cait ignored him. Then the cat suddenly threw his arms into the air and shouted loudly. This drew everyone's attention on him, as they turned and stared at him in complete surprise.

"Hold it!" the cat said. He sounded both angry_ and_ panicked by something. The cat lowered his arms and moved the Mog away from the others. He stopped it at the back of the bridge where his reception was clearest and placed one hand over his right ear. "Scarlet, Heidegger! What's going on?"

* * *

In the conference room, Heidegger closed his mobile and stared at it in confusion. His large brows furrowed deeply, until both brows joined in the middle to become one large line of fur. "Strange," he said. "I can't reach the President."

Reeve, however, had other things on his mind. He had just received some extremely worrying news from the soldiers guarding the reactors and was, as a result of this, extremely agitated. "Not the President. To Sister Ray!"

"What is it, Reeve?" Scarlet asked with a cackle. "You're speaking strangely." She leaned against the conference room desk.

It was no wonder Scarlet was acting so calm. According to the report they had received, her plans to destroy the energy barrier at the Northern Crater had worked perfectly. Not only that, it had completely obliterated Weapon as well. Everything had gone in their favour. Why should she worry about anything else?

"None of that matters!" exclaimed Reeve. He shook his head. "The reactor's output is increasing all by itself!"

That got Scarlet's attention. She pushed herself away from the desk and stormed over to Reeve, her eyes widened in fear. "Ww, wait a minute!" she stammered. "That's not wise! It must cool for 3 hours or it won't work. Reeve, shut off the machine!" She jabbed her finger at him, as though the problem was _his_ doing.

Reeve brushed her hand aside. "We can't do that! It's inoperable!" he told her. He turned from her and pulled out his phone. He called up the No. 2 Reactor and requested an update on the status of the reactors from the soldiers stationed inside.

_"Someone has switched the machine over to mainframe operation!" _was the report he received. _"We can't operate it from here."_

"What about the mainframe? Who!" Reeve demanded.

Unfortunately, the soldier did not know. Reeve cursed and hung up. The mainframe was the cannon's auxiliary control station, situated at the very top of the Sister Ray. In the event that any of the additional stations around the seven reactors failed to function, control of the cannon and the reactors could be diverted to the mainframe. It was also a last resort station, since the immense mako levels surrounding the cannon when it fired would surely kill the operator. Who would want to take over control of the cannon, knowing this?

Reeve crossed his arms and tapped his foot on the floor. After a moment's thought he turned to Heidegger. "Hey, call the mainframe!" he ordered.

Heidegger pulled out his phone again. He was just beginning to dial when he stopped and lowered his phone again. His dark eyes rested on Reeve, and his brow furrowed into a single line again. "Huh? Why are you giving orders?" he asked.

As much as Reeve wanted to point out that they were both Heads of Departments, this was no time to argue with the irritating man on company positions. "I don't give a damn about the details!" he snapped, losing patience. He turned from them again and pulled out his phone to call the mainframe himself.

Behind him, Scarlet and Heidegger shared a glance, wondering…

* * *

"Just you wait, Sephiroth. I'll give you the mako you want."

Hojo reached over the console and slowly turned one of the dials. He then watched in satisfaction as the valves in the No. 3 Reactor opened up, and the deep glow of mako rose from inside. The glow was not as impressive as the first time the reactors had been opened up, but it would do for now. The No. 2 Reactor was already open and was currently drawing more mako from beneath the city.

The lights of the city flickered and dimmed. It would be a while—an hour or two at least—before all seven reactors were flowing again, but Hojo was not worried about that. His plans were already in motion, and nothing could interfere with him. On the console the intercom crackled, and Reeve's panicked voice shouted through to him.

_"Hojo, STOP! The cannon, no. Midgar itself is in danger!"_

At first Hojo did not respond. He sighed heavily and began the preparations for opening up the No. 4 Reactor. This reactor was almost completely drained of energy, but Hojo ignored the warning signs and bypassed the security system. He chuckled.

"One or two Midgars?" he said, speaking mostly to himself rather than to Reeve. The professor paused momentarily and then shrugged. "…It's a small price to pay."

_"Hojo! HOJO…!"_

As casually as if he was turning a page, Hojo reached over and flicked the intercom switch off. He did not want any interference from the plebeian thinkers who did not fully appreciate the sheer brilliance of the forces that Sephiroth had put into motion. The sacrifice of the lives of Midgar was a paltry one to pay in comparison to what would be achieved if Sephiroth achieved his goal and brought an end to this miserable planet.

"Show me… Sephiroth. It should be near…"

Over by the No. 4 Reactor, a siren began to sound. The scientist quickly and calmly pressed some buttons, and the siren stopped as the reactor core became stable again. Even this high up, he could hear the cries of panic coming from the idiotic citizens below. All of them running around, screaming, and crying to some god that did not exist. How Hojo pitied their foolishness. They would see soon enough.

The professor paused in his work and looked up at the sky, where the dark storm clouds were beginning to settle over Midgar. He chuckled again to himself.

"Go beyond the powers of science… Before your presence, science is powerless… I hate it, but I'll concede to it. Just… let me see it."

And Hojo laughed once more and continued with his task.

* * *

When Cloud and the others heard this, they were mortified. Had Hojo completely lost his mind? Themselves and Shinra were doing everything they could to stop Sephiroth, and here was Hojo… trying to _help_ him! Cloud shook his head, unable to believe that Hojo would go that far for the sake of 'science'. Barret meanwhile, was glaring at Cait angrily, his fist shaking.

"YO!" he said, barely able to contain his rage. "Do somethin'! Ya big cat!"

Cait Sith and his Mog both sagged in unison. They turned slowly and the Mog waddled miserably over to Barret. The cat looked up at Barret sheepishly, before letting his head fall to his chest again. He shook it glumly.

"We're sunk. Hojo's doing this on his own…" The cat suddenly paused as a thought struck him. "…? …? H, huh!"

If it had been possible for Cait Sith to pale in fright, he would have right then. He was frightened because he had just realised, in his panic and confusion, that he had allowed Barret and Cloud and all the others to overhear the conversation with Hojo. And in doing so, he had inadvertently revealed his true identity. Only an idiot would not figure it out. The cat's whiskers quivered and then he sagged again.

"I don't like this…" he complained, his heart sinking like the clouds over Midgar.

Barret crossed his arms across his chest and smiled smugly. "You're busted, Reeve."

Knowing that the secret behind his true identity was out, Cait Sith leaned far over the Mog, his ears low over his face.

Cait Sith, otherwise known as Reeve Tuesti, Head of Shinra's Urban Development Department. Though it was Reeve who controlled the cat from behind the scenes, the advancement of Shinra's technology was so great that the cat pretty much operated by itself. Cait could move and speak independently, obeying orders and relaying all the information it received to Reeve back in Midgar.

As the channel between Cait and Reeve was always open, it was easy for Cait to receive extra information, which he could then pass on to Cloud and the others. The two were intrinsically linked, functioning like one extended being. Reeve was Cait, and Cait was Reeve. It was this level of technology, designed by the same Science Department that had created Sephiroth, which made Shinra the most powerful company the planet had ever known.

Barret continued to smile at Cait, smug that the cat had given away his identity at last. Cloud walked up and put a hand on Barret's arm—a subtle warning to keep quiet. Who Cait really was wasn't important right now. Barret frowned and turned away stubbornly, thinking about Marlene. "Can't you stop the Mako reactor?" Cloud asked, ignoring the big man.

"…We can't stop it," Cait replied, without looking up.

Barret turned back and pushed past Cloud. "You're from Shinra, ain't ya?" he asked. "So why's it impossible!"

"…"

"We came a long way to get here," said Cid. "You better not double-cross us now!"

Once again Cait sighed. He released the Mog's controls and sat down on its soft pink head. He poked his red boot with his hand. "I can't make you trust me…" he said.

"You damn fool!" shouted Cid angrily. "Don't you understand anything I'm saying?" The pilot smacked his fist into the side of the nearest console. The suddenness of his strike startled the poor pilot and even startled Cait, who looked up at him in surprise.

The pilot continued: "I don't give a damn about Shinra. If you're a man… no, if you're a human being, you'll save the planet. Don't you even care?"

"No way! If we shut down the reactor, all hell will break loose!"

"Why?" Cid asked, puzzled. "Can't you just shut off the valve?"

Cait turned to him. "Yeah, it's easy to shut off the reactor's pipe valves…" he conceded. "But the reactor made a path for the energy to escape from below." He turned from him to include everyone. "Once you open that, it's impossible to close it until everything blasts out… And we can't try to stop the energy gushing out…"

Everybody took a moment to assimilate this new information. The scene came to them all too clearly:

There was Midgar, a city at the centre of a vast wasteland. Thousands of people lived in the city. At the edge of each sector were the seven reactors, delving deep into the ground and sucking up the Lifestream that flowed there. Numerous pipes that regulated the flow of mako to the reactors ran like a maze beneath the city, ensuring that each reactor was supplied with a constant, even supply of mako.

Once inside the reactors, the Lifestream was put under immense pressure, condensing it until it reached a state where it could be drawn out and converted into a usable form of energy. The valves that Cid had mentioned regulated the amount of energy that was sucked up, so that the reactors did not become swamped with compressed energy. The Lifestream, when compressed, was often unstable and required constant monitoring. Ordinarily the valves would automatically shut off once the pressure levels reached a certain point and preventing such an imbalance.

But now Hojo was at the mainframe, bypassing the reactor's inbuilt security and forcing the valves open. More mako would be drawn from the planet and gather in the reactors. The pressure would build to dangerous levels, the cores would become unstable, and the pressurised energy that had gathered would be forced to find an escape route. If Hojo closed the valves again, then the only path the mako could take would be down into the pipes that ran beneath the city. The mako would enter the pipes, and the pressure would, eventually, cause them to blow.

"An explosion!" exclaimed Barret.

"This blast'll be way bigger than when the number 1 reactor blew up!" said Cait.

Barret shook his head. "Damn…!"

The people of Midgar were standing on a ticking time bomb.

Now they understood why Cait was so alarmed. The pressure in the reactors was growing with every second that passed. Unless Hojo was stopped, that pressure would continue to grow, until finally the pipes could take no more and blow, causing a catastrophic explosion that would engulf the entire city and the people in it. Cloud frowned. Damn that Hojo!

All through the conversation Vincent remained silent, with his back to the others. Hearing Hojo's voice had brought back yet more painful memories. An almost uncontrollable anger burned inside him. If he had not spent thirty years sleeping away the guilt and shame, that anger would probably have overwhelmed him. Lucrecia… Hojo… Vincent clenched his fingers tight around his arm, and the claws of his gauntlet dug into his bicep, bringing back his control.

"Forget about that…" The sound of Cait Sith's voice broke through Vincent's thoughts, and the gunman turned his attention back to his friends. He turned and walked up to rejoin the group. Cait Sith was standing on the Mog's head. "The CANNON!" he was shouting. "We've got to get to Midgar! That's the first thing!"

Cloud looked over at Vincent. The gunman leaned against the edge of the stairs. He caught Cloud looking at him and gazed back at the swordsman. His expression was clear and unreadable, but the fierceness of his eyes revealed the anger that was burning there. Looking into Vincent's dark red eyes, Cloud recalled the moment when Vincent agreed to leave his long slumber and join them on their journey.

"_If I go with you, will I meet Hojo?"_

"_Dunno. But we're after him and Sephiroth. So, I guess sooner or later…"_

"_Lucrecia… All right, I've decided to go with you."_

"_What? You're coming with us?"_

"_Being a former Turks, I may be of help to you…"_

It seemed like so long ago to Cloud, but Vincent had been waiting even longer. All those years he said he'd spent sleeping, dreaming of a shame he could not shake. Now, at last, Vincent was going to have the chance to confront the man who had played a part in that shame. Cloud turned from him and faced the others.

"We must stop Hojo… first."

* * *

Back at Shinra Headquarters, Reeve finished analysing the data received from Cait and turned to Heidegger and Scarlet. "Looks like Cloud and the others are on their way," he informed them. "Stay out of the way!"

Heidegger looked at Reeve closely, and then burst into a sudden fit of laughter. "Don't be so ludicrous!" he guffawed. "I don't recall you giving me any orders! The Peace Preservation will give their best effort to make the enemy retreat!" The man then paused and clenched his fist, teeth grating in anger. "Because of them, I… I…!"

"That's a private matter…" said Reeve calmly.

Heidegger unclenched his fist and looked up at Reeve, his brows furrowing once again. He had never liked Reeve, and disliked him even more now that Reeve was trying to give _him_ orders. He'd also harboured secret suspicions about Reeve's wavering loyalty to the company. Suspicions him and Scarlet both had raised with the president, but had gone unheard. As long as Reeve continued to provide information on the doings of Cloud and his little band of rebels, Rufus had said, Reeve continued to have some use. Now, though, that had changed.

"The President is dead!" Heidegger protested loudly. "Now I'm doing things my way!" He and Scarlet both laughed.

When she was done laughing, Scarlet turned to Heidegger. "Heidegger! Now I'm going to use the new weapon!"

Scarlet clicked her fingers, and the two of the three soldiers guarding the door ran over to them. They stopped on either side of Reeve and drew their guns, pointing the barrels at his head warningly. Reeve stared at them in surprise, before turning his eyes on Heidegger and Scarlet. Heidegger was beaming, while a cold, twisted smile touched Scarlet's lips. Reeve could not believe it. Had they planned this all along!

Without bothering to explain, Scarlet and Heidegger laughed again and headed for the door. The third soldier opened it as they approached and they exited the room leaving Reeve under the guard of the soldiers.

"Hey! Wait!" Reeve tried to call after them, but they didn't listen. When they had left the third soldier slammed the door shut and stood in front of it. Reeve shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. "Cloud, everybody!" he said in dismay. "Sorry… But!"

* * *

"But! You'll come, won't you!"

Reeve's words rang loud and clear in the hearts of everybody on the bridge. Cloud unfolded his arms and walked over to Cait, who was looking at him hopefully.

"I know," Cloud said.

Around him, the others nodded. Even Barret, his anger forgotten in Cait/Reeve's heartfelt plea for their aid in Midgar. Cid turned to the pilot, who was waiting patiently for his orders.

"Hey!" said Cid. "I'm leaving the ship in your hands!"

The pilot nodded and turned to the wheel. "I'm heading for Midgar!" he said.

Cait looked around at the others standing around him, his hope rising. He had originally thought of Cloud and his friends as nothing more than a group of callous terrorists aiming for nothing more than causing Shinra trouble, and not caring one jot about the lives of innocents who fell in their wake. The destruction of the No. 1 Reactor had helped form that impression. But Cait was glad, deep down, that he had gotten this chance to travel with them. He believed that they, over anyone else, would have a chance to save Midgar from obliteration.

If they could only get there in time.

* * *

**End of Part Thirteen**

**Next Part: Part Fourteen: Gene Warfare**

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

And that brings an end to Part Thirteen. Now we have just two parts left to go. I'm so excited! After six years of hard labour (well, four and a half, since I went on a loooong hiatus), the end is finally starting to come about! Mwahaha!


	37. Part Fourteen: Chapter 35

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Part Fourteen: Gene Warfare**

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

The Highwind came to a stop. "We've reached Midgar!" the pilot announced.

Cloud turned to the window. Midgar was dead ahead. Once upon a time Midgar was a sight to behold, but now it was nothing more than a shadow of the splendour it once had. The Shinra Company was on the verge of collapse. Shinra Headquarters had been heavily damaged, and smoke was still pouring from the upper levels. Cloud tried to see through the billowing smoke, but he could see nothing.

The storm clouds he had seen coming in from the south earlier had almost fully settled over the city. They covered Midgar in shadow, making it appear dark and eerie. The clouds spanned the horizon as far as the eye could see. The wind was picking up; they could hear its howl as it blustered past the airship. The only good thing about the storm was that it blocked the sight of Meteor in the sky. Yet even the thickest clouds could not block it out completely, for its burning light tinged the clouds a dark, deep red.

Tifa joined Cloud by the window and looked out at Sector 7. It pained her to look upon her old home, and to think of all the thousands of people who had lost their lives because they had shared a sector with AVALANCHE. What pained her more was that it appeared Shinra had done _nothing_ to clean up the damage. They had left it as it was; a cold example to anyone else who thought of going against Shinra.

Much of the city was in darkness. Four of the seven reactors were now lit and draining what was left of the mako from the city. Even from the sky they could hear the sirens howling, and the red lights that flashed around the reactors showed just how close they were to going into meltdown. The last three reactors, No. 5 through 7, were still dark. They had very little time to reach the cannon and stop Hojo.

"Even if we get there," they heard Barret say from behind them, "Midgar's under martial law! There'll be no way could slip into the slums!"

Cit had informed them of this new update on the journey back. Heidegger and Scarlet, mad with power and refusing to accept that the Shinra Company was all but done, had taken over the company and placed the entire city under martial law. Every sector had been sealed off, and every city exit had been closed and put under heavy guard. The soldiers guarding the exits and the Shinra Building were given orders to shoot anyone who tried to escape or enter the Shinra Building. Their intent was clear: they wanted the citizens kept under lock and key so they could cause no trouble. Anyone who didn't obey these laws… Well, they were only citizens… And of course, martial law meant that nobody could get _into_ the city either.

"Looks like all transportation from the slums is cut off…" Tifa observed, as she realised that all the trains in the city had been stopped. It was as though the city had come to a complete standstill.

Cid, however, remained optimistic. "Hey, hey," he said cheerfully, grinning widely, "whaddaya think we have Highwind for? Where are we?"

"Huh?" asked Barret, confused. "Where are we…?" He scratched his head. Was this a trick question? They were in the sky, obviously, onboard the Highwind.

Reading Barret's thoughts, Cid nodded his head. His grin became wider. "If land's no good…" he said. He gave Barret a thumbs-up. "We'll go by air!"

Barret stared at the pilot and his thumbs-up in bewilderment. Was Cid serious! Was he suggesting that they should enter Midgar… _by air!_ Barret turned to Cloud to protest, but to his horror he saw that Cloud was smiling.

"Okay then!" Cloud said, cutting Barret off. "We'll parachute into Midgar!"

Now Barret stared at Cloud, thinking that the swordsman was just as mad as Cid. He tried to protest, but stopped when Tifa touched his arm. She smiled up at him. Barret sighed heavily. If even Tifa was all for jumping into Midgar, then there was no point in arguing. And as he had pointed out: there was no other way into Midgar.

He followed Cloud as the swordsman then led the way across the bridge, heading towards the outer deck. The rest of the group fell into line behind them, and the crewmen turned and saluted them as they passed.

Word spread quickly throughout the Highwind. All of the airship's crew stopped in their work and gathered to watch as the group marched past. The looks of awe and pride touched the faces of every crewmember as they saluted this band of heroes. Cid flushed in embarrassment and rubbed his nose, while Yuffie raised her head high and marched solidly across the floor, her pride winning over her motion-sickness.

The crewman stood on either side of the steps leading to the outer deck, holding eight parachute packs. They helped the companions get suited up for their jump. It was a difficult task to suit up Red XIII, whose canine body was not properly built for backpacks. It was an even harder one getting the chute on Cait Sith's Mog, for the cat refused to leave it behind. Barret shuffled about while the crewmen adjusted the pack's straps for his larger frame. Eventually, they were all suited up, and the two crewmen saluted. Cid saluted back, and they headed up to the outer deck.

The first thing that hit them as they stepped out was the wind. It was growing in strength, and almost wrenched the door from Cloud's hand as he opened it. In the distance, there was a roll of thunder. When they were all on the deck Cloud shut the door and walked to the edge of the deck. He placed one boot against the rail and leaned over to survey the city.

The Highwind was hovering high above Midgar. The smoke that had been pouring from the damaged Shinra Building had now eased and was being blown northward by the wind, giving them a clear view. Cloud figured that their best bet was to parachute into one of the upper sectors close to the Shinra Building and then find a way to infiltrate from there.

He expected Cait already had a plan in mind for getting them inside, but they could probably help by landing as close to the centre of the city as possible. Cloud just hoped that the soldiers patrolling the city grounds would be too busy sorting out the panicked citizens to pay any attention to attacks coming in from the sky. They should be able to sneak in unnoticed… he hoped. He took a breath.

"Here we go!" he said, and then threw himself over the edge of the deck.

Not wanting to be outdone, Cid ran forward and jumped onto the rails. He pulled his goggles over his eyes and then jumped over the edge. Tifa came after him, along with Barret and all the others. They hurled themselves as far from the airship as they could before the wind caught them and they plummeted towards the ground.

The wind rushed past their faces as they fell. It drowned out all other sounds and their eyes watered with the rush. Those that could kept their arms to their sides to increase their speed as they hurtled towards the city. Red XIII pawed at the air almost like he was running, his tail whipping behind him. Cait Sith clung to his Mog for dear life as it fell towards the ground, only now realising that it had been a bad idea for only the Mog to be wearing a parachute.

Cid cried out in exhilaration. For the pilot, who lived for the sky, this was almost as thrilling as going into space. The wind whipped across his skin and through his hair. He was not the only one to find the experience thrilling: through the rushing wind he could hear Tifa also cry out in delight.

Cloud was the first to open his parachute. As they fell past the cannon and the smoking Shinra Building, Cloud yanked the release cord and opened the chute. The chute came out and caught the air. There was a sharp, breath-stealing tug as Cloud was pulled upright. Quickly the swordsman reached up grabbed hold of the cords that were attached to the chute. His descent slowed, and his breath returned.

He looked around. Following his lead the others had also opened their parachutes and were beginning to float down towards the city. Sector 6 was coming in fast below them. Cloud tugged on the chute's cords and manoeuvred himself over the sector, aiming for the inner edge about a quarter of a mile from the centre.

A particularly strong gust of wind blew as they neared the ground. The others were all right, but it caught Cloud by surprise and blew him firmly off course. The swordsman looked up in alarm as he realised that he was now heading towards Sector 7. Hurriedly the swordsman tugged on the cords and pulled the parachute firmly back away from the ruined sector. He saw the others disappear behind a building. It was too late to do anything about it now, and with the ground rushing in fast, all Cloud could do now was brace himself for the landing.

Cloud hit the ground. Immediately he dropped and rolled over to spread area of impact. Still, it hurt, and few a few moments his mind reeled with the sudden sense of being back on the ground. He recovered his senses after a few seconds and quickly rolled onto his front. He grabbed the chute's cords and began to pull the chute towards him. Once within reach he pressed down on the chute, deflating it before it had a chance to pick him up again. It deflated easily, and once Cloud was sure he would not be carried off again, he unclipped the backpack and climbed to his feet. He brushed himself off, and then looked around at his surroundings.

The swordsman was standing in the middle of an abandoned street. The buildings were all dark inside, and many had doors that had been left open—presumably the occupants left in a hurry. There was no sign of the others. In fact, Cloud realised as he looked around, there were no signs of life of any kind: no soldiers, no citizens, not even a cat. However, over the roar of the wind, he could hear the angry shouts and cries of citizens some distance away. And also, somewhere nearby, gunshots could be heard. The soldiers had resorted to using force to maintain order.

Cloud started to walk forward to search for his friends. He stopped suddenly as he heard a loud, repetitive thumping noise approaching him from the side. Cloud spun around and reached for his sword, but froze when he saw that it was just Cait Sith. The cat had seen Cloud land and had come looking for him. Cloud sighed and relaxed his grip. The others must have landed somewhere nearby.

Seeing Cloud unharmed, Cait did not waste time with questions. "Heidegger is going after you all," he warned. "That's why it's dangerous out there." The cat looked around warily, before he turned and hopped away a few steps. He looked back at Cloud. "Let's go underground!"

The cat hopped away again, and Cloud ran close behind him. Cait led him around the corner and into a dark, deserted alley. The others were gathered here, waiting impatiently. They had all landed safely, discarding their unneeded parachutes in a nearby crate. Yuffie had apparently been sick after landing, for her face was paler than normal. Cait hopped right past her and stopped next to a large sewer hatch at the end of the alley.

"This is where we go in," he told them.

The cat tapped the Mog's head, and the Mog obediently leaned over the hatch. It took hold of the handle with its large pink fists and began to heave. The hatch grated loudly and everyone looked around cagily, fearful that someone might hear. But no one with an ounce of sense was in this part of the sector. They were all either in their homes or at the exits, trying to escape the city.

Eventually the hatch cover came loose, and the Mog chucked it to one side out of the way. It landed with a loud clatter that echoed down the alley. Beneath the hatch was a ladder leading beneath the plate. Cait turned to Cloud.

"Please! Hurry and come to the Mako cannon!" he begged.

Cloud nodded in reply. The cat smiled gratefully, then turned and jumped down through the hole. For a moment Cloud feared the Mog's large, round body would get stuck (as hilarious as that would have been!) but it fit through rather easily, and both cat and Mog disappeared down the hole. Cloud climbed down the ladder after him, followed by the others.

The ladder took them down into the sewers that ran directly beneath the plate. These sewers ran beneath every sector and formed a vast maze of interrelating tunnels that were almost impossible to navigate. Only someone like Reeve, who was in charge of Urban Development in Midgar, would know where to go.

And so it was Cait who led the way, guiding the companions through the underground network. No map was needed: the cat knew these tunnels like the back of his paw. And unlike before when he would have 'accidentally' given them the wrong directions and tried to hinder their progress, he now showed them every shortcut, every hidden path, and kept back nothing. Time was of the essence now; there was no time for paltry shenanigans.

They made good progress, thanks to Cait's help. Within about ten or fifteen minutes they had traversed the quarter of a mile distance between the landing site and the centre of Midgar. Their progress was slowed only by the usual riffraff of monsters that wandered the sewers. However, at their current level of fighting, these monsters were nothing but small fry and were easily brushed aside. They wasted no time dispatching them and then hurried on.

After five more minutes of wandering, they found themselves at the foot of a long set of steps. Cait plodded right along, hopping up the steps. At the top there was a large air vent, and it was by this that Cait finally stopped. The cat turned, waiting for Cloud and the others to catch up.

"In here!" he said to them. "This vent leads directly to the rail tracks outside of Sector 6. If we follow those, they will take us right to the cannon. Hurry! We haven't much time left! Five of the reactors are now running again! Hurry! Hurry!"

The cat hopped from foot to foot, but Cloud quickly noticed that Cait was making no move to enter the tunnel and was instead looking at him expectantly. As if to make his point even more clear, the cat waved at the vent entrance. Deciding not to waste time arguing, Cloud sighed and clambered into the air vent.

He could see why Cait was reluctant to enter. Though the vent appeared to be quite large from the outside, once inside it became quite tight and cramped. After a few steps Cloud was forced to bend over, and from there onto his hands and knees, moving at a slow crawl. Behind him he heard a thud and a groan as Barret climbed in. If it was cramped for Cloud, then it was worse for Barret.

"Damn, man! How cramped is this damn vent?"

"Why don't you ask it?" Cloud heard Tifa say behind Barret. The swordsman rolled his eyes. He'd heard this argument before. Still it was a relief to hear, for it reminded Cloud that once again that even after everything they had been through on this journey, some people remained the same.

The vent curved sharply to the right. They followed it round, and Barret grunted and cursed as he squeezed his large frame around the corner. The exit was just ahead. When Cloud reached he had a quick look to make sure no one was around before he climbed out and jumped down onto the tracks.

As Cait had said, the vent had led them straight onto the underground rail tracks. For a worrying moment Cloud feared that a train might come along and crush them, until he remembered that they had seen no trains running when they were on the Highwind. Still, he did not want to let down his guard. Once everyone had climbed out of the vent Cait retook the lead and began to hop down the tracks.

"Oh no! They're here!"

The group came to a stop. They recognised _that_ voice. Turning, they looked back down the tracks. As they expected, Elena was running towards them. Cloud sighed heavily. Of all the times to run into the Turks, it had to be _now_.

Elena came to a stop near them. Though she was out of breath and there was soot smeared over her face and hair she forced herself to stand upright, refusing to show any weakness. She looked round at the group. "What are we going to do!" she asked loudly. "I think it's okay for you to ignore your orders now."

Cloud tilted his head. What was she talking about? What orders?

"…Elena, don't act so weak."

Cloud sighed again. He recognised that voice, too.

Reno and Rude emerged from behind a pillar and walked up to stand beside Elena. They did not seem at all surprised to see Cloud and his friends here. And, frankly, Cloud was not at all surprised to see them, either. He had guessed that sooner or later the Turks would come after them. Yet there was no time…

Rude adjusted his shades. "We're Turks, Elena," he was saying to her.

Elena sagged. "…Yes, sir. You're right."

"Come on," said Rude, "we've got work to do." He raised his fists, ready for battle.

Reno reached behind him and unhooked his electric rod from his belt. "I'm not really up for it," he said with a sigh, "but…" He lifted the rod onto his shoulder, also ready.

Elena turned back to the rebels. The confidence was back in her eyes as she stood proudly before them. "Our orders were to seek you out and…" She paused for dramatic effect. "…KILL. Our company may be in turmoil, but an order's an order. That's the will and spirit of the Turks! Believe it!"

Cloud reached for his sword. Then he stopped and looked at the Turks. Though Elena was all up for a final showdown between the Turks and the rebels, that enthusiasm did not seem to be shared with her two comrades. Reno's grip on his electric rod was slack, and his eyes kept shifting from place to place, as though he was torn by some decision. Rude's fists were loosely clenched, and his stance did not show that same willingness. Orders were orders, Elena had said. Cloud started to wonder…

"…"

"What are you doing!" Elena demanded, growing impatient and seemingly unaware of the reluctance of her comrades. She stepped forward. "Let's go!"

Cloud took a quick glance behind him. It seemed the others too, had picked up on Reno and Rude's reluctance to enter a battle with them. Tifa clasped her hands behind her back—a show of refusing to arm herself. Vincent folded his arms across his chest, also refusing to draw a weapon. Even Barret, to Cloud's surprise, seemed just as reluctant and would not look at them.

It was strange. Although the Turks were far from being their friends, they had been through a lot together. Every time they had met, they had ended up fighting. But did it always have to be that way? The Turks were just like every other employee of Shinra: just following orders. It never even occurred to Cloud that maybe they did not want to follow them. Looking at them now, he wondered. Orders were orders… but did they have to be?

The more Cloud thought about it, the more he realised that he, too, did not want to fight them. There had been enough battles already, enough people sacrificed for a needless cause. If there should be more fighting, it should be against those that needed to be stopped. The Turks… were not them. Cloud released his sword and shook his head.

"No, let's not go."

His answer shocked Elena. She jumped about half a foot into the air. "You showing pity!" she cried. Her fists clenched angrily. "Don't take the Turks for fools!" She started to walk forward.

"Wait, Elena."

Elena stopped and turned to Reno, more surprise in her eyes. "Reno!" she protested. "You're not violating the order… are you!"

Reno looked over at Cloud. The swordsman gazed steadfastly back at him. It seemed that Cloud understood. There was no need to fight, not now. Tseng had even said as much, when he gave them their orders. The Turk leader had always been reluctant to face off against Cloud and his friends, but Reno had never understood why. Now he did understand. Tseng had seen, long ago, that this day would come. A smile touched Reno's lips, and he lowered his weapon.

"Shinra's finished," he said. "It's come down to this."

Rude nodded his head, agreeing with his partner. "…"

Elena looked from one to the other. Unable to believe what she was hearing, she shook her head. "Rude…" she said almost pleadingly, looking at him.

Rude did not respond. He simply lowered his fists and turned away from her, unable to meet her gaze. Elena stared helplessly at his back. Her fists tightened… and then relaxed. The anger left her face. She hung her head low and stared at the floor.

Reno looked at her sad face. She was not sad because they were not going to fight. She was sad because she had finally realised that this was the end of Turks, the team she had worked so hard to enter. Everything she did was to gain the acceptance of her comrades: Reno, Rude… and Tseng. Being a member of the Turks was a source of pride for her, and now the source of that pride was crumbling.

"Elena, you were a great Turk!"

The young woman did not raise her head. She continued to stare at the floor. "…" was all she could say.

Reno sighed and shook his head. She would come to understand, in time. He hooked his weapon onto his belt and turned back to Cloud and the others, who were watching the exchange in silence.

"Farewell," he told them. "If we can both survive… If we can save our lives…" He did not finish. Instead he just flashed the group a confident grin before turning and walking back down the tracks away from them.

As Reno walked away, Elena raised her head. She seemed to have come to a decision. The defiant look returned to her face and she clenched her fists, turning to face Cloud. She held his gaze firmly, and her brow creased. "Remember the spirit of the Turks…!" she said fiercely. Then the anger left her face and she smiled, briefly, before turning and running back along the tracks after Reno.

Now only Rude was left. The Turk's expression, as it always did, remained unchanged. "Our mission's finished…" was all that he said, before he too, turned and walked away.

Cloud watched as the three Turks walked away. Tifa shouted after them, telling them that they had better survive, and she would not forgive them if they died. Without turning, Reno raised his hand.

So the Turks abandoned their orders and left. Yet Cloud had the feeling that it would not be the last time he ever saw the Turks.

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

Now, for all those who wanted an epic final showdown with the Turks… In all the times I have played the game, only once have I fought the Turks at this point. The first time I got to this point and I had the option of fight or not to fight, I suddenly found that I just didn't have the heart to fight them. So I chose to have that in the fic. I hope I conveyed my feelings well enough.

Of course I sincerely regretted that one time I did fight them. Not because it broke my heart, but because Elena was tougher than she looked! DX


	38. Part Fourteen: Chapter 36

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

Once the Turks had gone, Cait Sith retook the lead and the group continued on their way.

With no trains running, the underground railroads were deathly quiet. Midgar had never been this quiet before. Even underground, or in the slums, you could always hear the bustle of city life above. Now there was no hum of trains as they sped along the tracks, for the trains had halted. There was no hustle and bustle on the streets above, because the people had all fled. It reminded Cloud and Tifa of the Train Graveyard in the Sector 7 slums. The feeling was the same. How cold and eerie the used train dumping grounds had felt, so utterly silent and devoid of life. That was how the whole city felt now. The life had gone.

They each thought about this as they moved quickly along the tracks, trying to keep up with Cait, who was bounding away as fast as the Mog could go. They could not afford to slow down, since time was of the essence.

The group were reminded of how little time remained when the ground suddenly began to shake. They stopped and held onto each other as the ground trembled and the tracks rattled and clattered loudly. Dust fell from the ceiling in a thick, dusty cloud. An eerie screech echoed down the tracks. It sounded as though something was being forcibly dragged up from deep beneath the city.

They knew what that scream was without being told. It was the cry of the planet, screaming in pain as the next reactor opened its valves and began to suck up more of the Lifestream from beneath the surface. It was so cold and chilling; it made the hairs on the backs of their necks stand on end. The scream continued for about ten seconds before finally stopping, and the ground settled again.

"That's the No. 6 Reactor activated," Cait told them. Everyone turned to him. "Only two reactors are left. We don't have much time. Hurry!"

Even as Cait spoke, the ground started to hum, falling into a steady rhythm. There were no more screams from the planet, but they could guess that it was still in pain. Though it was comforting for something to break the ghostly silence, it was also a prompt for them to stop wasting time and hurry on. They picked up the pace and hurried down the tracks.

They reached a fork in the path ahead. Without hesitation Cait headed down the right-hand path which, he said, would lead them back onto the plate.

His word was true. After a few minutes the track began to slope gently upward. They reached the end shortly after and emerged at the entrance of the Sector 8 train station. Cait told them they could access the cannon via Fountain Square at the foot of the Shinra Building, so they left the train station and rushed towards the square.

The Square was, as expected, completely deserted. The citizens had left in a hurry, it seemed, wanting to get as far from the Shinra Building as possible. In doing so they had abandoned many of their possessions: cars were still running, shopping had been dumped and left behind, and—most shocking of all—they saw the body of a young man in the middle of the square. Unable to escape the panic fast enough, he had been trampled to death and left in the square.

A number of streets ran off away from the Square, and it was down one of these that they saw the access Cait had mentioned. It led to a stairwell that went straight up to the top of the cannon, which loomed over the sector. They stood in the centre of the Square and looked up at it. The pipes attached to the reactors were glowing in faint pulses as they carried small amounts of mako into the cannon.

Overhead there was the mainframe. Though they could not see Hojo from where they were, they knew he was there. Right now the mad scientist was working on opening up the next reactor. The companion made their way across the Square.

Just as they began to move, the ground began to shake once again. The companions and stopped and froze in fright, fearing for a second that Hojo had already managed to open and activate the No. 7 Reactor.

They soon realised that this was not the case, for the tremor was different from the one they had felt underground. It was heavier and came in regular bursts… like footsteps. Something very large was heading towards them. The companions turned and looked back across the Square.

The sight they saw would haunt them forever.

It was known as the Proud Clod, and was the Weapons Development Department's pride and joy. The automaton towered over the smaller buildings in the sector, and came just about level with the taller ones. It was covered from head to foot in red-tinted metal and had four monstrously large arms that were joined at the elbow and tipped with dangerously sharp titanium claws. Two gigantic, flat feet with upturned claws stomped heavily along the pavement towards the Square. Each step the Proud Clod took caused the ground to shake, and the pavement cracked beneath its weight. There was no doubt as to its intent: it was heading straight for them.

"This can't be…" said Tifa.

"Are you serious…?" asked Yuffie.

The ninja struggled to hide her smile. The Proud Clod certainly _looked_ impressive. No doubt on the battlefield it would be an effective and fearsome weapon. But here, in a densely populated area, it just looked… ridiculous. Shinra weren't really planning on using that thing here… were they?

The Proud Clod reached the end of the street and entered the Square. It stopped in front of the group. There was a moment's pause and then a hatch on the robot's chest opened up. In the opening, standing side by side, were Heidegger and Scarlet.

Heidegger laughed. "Here they come! So they really showed up!" He laughed once more, and Scarlet laughed with him. "You sure did treat us like dogs up to now!"

"You killed off a lot of my precious soldiers!" Scarlet added.

"But let's see how you do against anti-Weapon artillery!" said Heidegger, laughing again.

"You guys are worthless," Scarlet said, "but my proud creations are a sure thing!

Scarlet smiled malevolently and then snapped her fingers. The chest hatch closed, sealing both her and Heidegger inside the robot. The Proud Clod raised one clenched fist and hit the ground in front of Cloud and his friends, forcing them to jump back. The group reached for their weapons, as Scarlet's voice cackled from inside.

"I'll show you the destructive power of the Proud Clod!"

With that, they began the attack. The Proud Clod bent its knees, revealing two large gun barrels hidden behind its caps, and then opened fire. Cloud and the others darted back as the bullets hit the ground in front of them. After the initial wave the six machinegun barrels behind the automaton's small head also opened fire, sending another wave of bullets flying towards them, forcing them to retreat once again. One or two bullets ricocheted off the concrete floor and rebounded off the walls, zipping dangerously around the Square.

When the secondary wave of fire ended the Proud Clod raised its clenched fist and smashed it into the ground where Tifa was standing. The young fighter flipped back out of the way and skidded to a stop. She looked over at Cloud. "Cloud!"

Cloud heard her. There was no time to deal with Scarlet and Heidegger, or their Proud Clod. Even as they wasted time here, Hojo was getting closer and closer to completing his goal. At any moment the No. 7 and 8 Reactors could open, and then it would be lights out forever for Midgar. The swordsman released his hold on the Buster Sword and stepped forward towards the Proud Clod.

"This is pointless!" he called up to the robot, knowing that inside Scarlet and Heidegger could hear him. "It's over. There's no need for us to fight now!"

Scarlet's high-pitched cackle echoed from within the Proud Cloud, and the automaton unleashed another volley of gunfire. The swordsman jumped back as the bullets tore into the ground at his feet. He drew his sword and used the wide blade as cover, and the bullets bounced off with a loud 'ping'. When the volley ended, Cloud lowered his sword and tried again.

"Scarlet!" he called. "If we don't stop Hojo, then Midgar is finished! Just let it go!"

His answer was another round of intense gunfire, forcing the swordsman to retreat once more. He came to a stop beside Cait.

"Don't waste yer breath, Cloud," the cat told him with a sigh. "They won't listen to you. All they care about now is proving that their machine can beat us into the ground. Our lives, the people of Midgar's lives… they mean nothing to them." The cat stood up on the Mog's head, clutching his megaphone tightly in his gloved fist. "All Shinra ever cared about was its own interests, and protecting those interests. That's why SOLDIER—and people like Sephiroth—were created. Fighting, money, power, that's all they ever cared about!"

And didn't they know it. There was not a single one among them that had not been affected by Shinra's quest for power. Cait Sith, or Reeve Tuesti, as an oppressed employee; Cid Highwind, whose dreams for space exploration were shattered by Shinra's greed; Yuffie Kisaragi, with her once proud home now a struggling tourist attraction; Vincent Valentine, genetically altered by Professor Hojo himself; Red XIII, captured and experimented on as one of Hojo's 'specimen's'.

Then there was Barret, who lost all he held dear when Shinra destroyed his hometown and, in his rage, formed a resistance group to take his revenge. Likewise there was Tifa, who's father was killed by Sephiroth, her own life almost taken, and her hometown burned to the ground. And Aeris… relentlessly hunted by Shinra for many years, and eventually killed by Sephiroth.

Lastly… there was Cloud. His involvement with Shinra was a story that did not need repeating, or reminding. It was deeply connected to their whole journey, and to the man whom they would eventually have to face: Sephiroth. That man was their goal. Shinra, Cloud realised with sudden clarity, was no longer part of their story.

The Proud Clod stomped forward and brought its two right-side fists down hard into the ground between him and Cait. The cat and Mog jumped back as the fist smashed right through the concrete floor, shattering the brickwork. The Mog lost its balance and fell forward onto its face, its feet and arms flailing. Cait Sith rolled over the ground until he came to a stop at Red XIII's feet. The hound dipped his head and lifted the cat by the scruff of his neck, setting him back on his feet.

"What about Midgar?" Tifa called up to the Proud Clod. "Don't you care what happens to it? If we don't stop Hojo and the cannon, then everybody will die! Including you!"

The Proud Clod turned to face her. It raised its left arm and splayed the fingers of its second hand. The barrel of a laser cannon extended from its wrist and fired a hot beam of light towards her. Hurriedly Tifa ducked and rolled out of the way, while the laser beam ripped through the ground, tearing up more of the pavement. The fighter rose onto her feet in a single, swift movement and raised her fists. Before her, a high cackle and a low bellow echoed from within the Proud Clod. Still, they were laughing.

Barret came to stand beside her. "Cait's right—they don't care one bit about Midgar," he said. He thought of little Marlene, sitting terrified in some household, while panic and fighting raged around her. "Shinra never did. So let's jes' stop wastin' time and get on with it! We got a city to save!"

The former resistance leader pushed past Tifa, raised his gun-arm, and opened fire upon the mech. The bullets bounced off the automaton's thick, strong armour, barely even denting it. Barret cursed and then roared in rage as he tried again, firing more bullets, determined to break through.

From inside the mech, Heidegger howled with laughter. "That's right, keep on firing!" he jeered. "Your weapons are useless against the Proud Clod's anti-Weapon armour! Know what that means? Not even Weapon could break this armour!"

"Enough of this," said Scarlet, growing bored of playing games with the rebels. She took hold of the control stick and pushed a red button on the top.

The mechanisms deep inside the Proud Clod whirred, and the mech suddenly knelt down on one knee. It leaned its large upper half forward and the mouth of its small 'head' (which eerily resembled Jenova) opened wide. Pipes leading from the fuel tanks to the head began to pump mako, and the head's eyes began to glow. The prongs of the strange structure on its back also began to glow, before firing a long, wide beam of mako energy towards the rebels.

The shot however, was poorly aimed and sailed cleanly over the heads of the rebels as they scrabbled to get out of the way. The beam hit one of the nearby shops—an item shop—and blew the building apart. The explosion ripped the building apart all the way down to its foundations. Shards of broken glass and chunks of brick and mortar went flying through the air. Smoke billowed, thick and choking into the air. Smaller explosions occurred inside the remains of the shop, as the contents caught fire and blew up in colourful showers.

Cloud looked over at the body of the young man who had been trampled during the panic. The body was now partially hidden beneath a pile of rock; all he could see was a bloodied arm and leg. Cait was right: there was no reasoning with people like Scarlet and Heidegger.

Fighting… money… and power… that was what Cait had said. Fighting only brought about more fighting, more pain, and more sadness. Would there ever be an end to such a cycle? Would the fighting ever end? Cloud drew his sword. There was only one way they could find out. And so—sword in hand—he ran forward to fight.

The Proud Clod, still leaning over, fired a second beam from its cannon. The swordsman did not stop but ducked down low beneath the beam, which sailed over his head. He could feel its destructive heat prickle against his skin and make him sweat. In his hands the blade of the Buster Sword began to glow a deep crimson, and the hilt became so hot it was almost unbearable. Instead of letting go, he simply tightened his grip, clenched his teeth against the pain, and carried on forward.

Gunshots sailed through the air as Vincent and Barret worked together to draw the Proud Clod's attention. Using their Fire and Ice materia to magically-enhance their bullets, they unleashed a continuous stream of bullets upon the Proud Clod's chest plate. The Proud Clod, in defence, took a single step backwards and raised an arm over its chest, protecting its occupants.

With the Proud Clod momentarily distracted Cloud made a dash towards the Proud Clod's other arm, which was hanging unguarded by its side. He saw movement at his side and turned to see Tifa running alongside him. Her fists were clenched and wreathed, spectacularly, in fire. It seemed she too, had figured out what Cloud had begun to suspect about the Proud Clod. The swordsman turned his attention back to the Proud Clod. The arm was in range, and he swung his sword.

The edge of the blade caught the joints of one of the Proud Clod's arms. The blow hit with such intensity that sparks of white light appeared on contact. Cloud's Lightning materia flashed white and electricity danced down the blade and onto the Proud Clod. The electricity spread quickly, enveloping the automaton's whole arm and other hand. The arm stiffened as though in surprise, and from inside the Proud Cloud he heard Scarlet cry out in surprise.

Tifa ran up beside him, and Cloud withdrew the blade, noting—with interest—that he had made a sizable dent in the Proud Clod's armour. Perhaps it was not entirely impervious to weapons, after all. The Buster Sword was made out of a special metallic alloy, one that perhaps outmatched the Proud Clod.

With her fists still wreathed in flame, Tifa struck the Buster Sword's point of impact with all the strength she could summon—which was a lot. Cloud heard her knuckles crack as she struck the metal, and could only wonder what training she had endured to be able to muster such strength. The flames on her hands spread to the metal. The edges of the metal glowed white hot, until steam began to rise from the edges. The fighter then pulled her hand away, and with one more strike from the Buster Sword, the hand came clean off. It clattered to the floor, the elongated metal claws still wriggling, until the mako finally drained away and it became still.

That was all the proof they needed. The Proud Clod's 'anti-Weapon armour' was completely useless in the face of magic. On their own, their weapons _would_ be ineffective. But when combined with the power of their magic materia, the Proud Clod was defenceless. Heidegger and Scarlet, in their eagerness to produce a weapon so powerful that it was impervious to any gun or blade, had completely forgotten about its resistance to magic: something they had in abundance.

It seemed that Heidegger and Scarlet had only just realised this. For a moment they were alarmed as they saw one of the Proud Clod's indestructible arms lying severed on the ground. Then they relaxed. So what if an arm had been lost? They still would not defeat the Proud Clod.

The robot lowered its other arm and started forward. It swiped at Vincent and Barret, who stopped firing in order to dive aside out of the way of the hands that tried to snatch them off the ground. Vincent dropped to the ground and rolled back onto his feet in a single movement. Raising his gun, he fired a series of magic-enhanced bullets at the Proud Clod.

The ice-encased bullets hit the Proud Clod's upper body, making dents and cracks in the armour. The Proud Clod swiped its arm and Vincent ducked once more, but once it passed he rose to his feet and continued to fire. Three bullets hit one of the pipes that fed mako energy into the cannon. The pipe cracked and shattered. Glowing mako spewed out of the pipe, and one of the hands on the automaton's right side fell limp, devoid of power.

The arm came within Cloud's range. Filling the blade with electricity once more, and calling upon the Bahamut materia for extra strength, Cloud jumped and brought the blade down on the Proud Clod's limp arm. With the electricity combined with Bahamut's strength, the Buster Sword cut right through the nuts and bolts and severed the hand from the rest of the body.

To Cloud's side, Cid thrust his spear into the joints of the Proud Clod's left ankle. The tip caught between the bolts and held fast, momentarily stalling the large robot. Quickly Cid withdrew the Gravity materia from his pocket. He was just about to use it when one of the Proud Clod's remaining hands moved in and swept him aside in a single, easy movement. For a moment that felt like forever the pilot found himself flying through the air, his world spinning. There was a flash of grey and then green. He struck something hard and then fell, headfirst, into a pool of shallow water.

Cid floundered in the water for a moment, before finally regaining his senses and struggling back to the surface. He broke through the surface and grabbed onto the patch of grey he had seen during his fall: the wall of the fountain. He wiped the water—and blood—from his eyes and looked ahead. His eyes widened.

The Proud Clod was making its way towards him, moving with surprising speed considering its great size. Cid reached for his spear, but then remembered that the spear was still stuck tight in the Proud Clod's ankle. As the robot moved towards him the spear tip snapped, and the pole broke away. Red XIII ran in from the side, but the Proud Clod swiped him aside and kept on moving.

An ice bullet hit the ground at the robot's feet. Ice spread across the ground, and when the Proud Clod's foot landed on the ice it skidded and slipped forward onto its knees in front of the fountain. The Beam Cannon on its back began to glow, and Cid scrabbled hurriedly backwards. Unable to escape the water fast enough, the pilot resorted to ducking down into the water once again. The cannon fired and the beam sailed overhead, striking the ground behind the fountain.

Smoke swirled thickly into the air. The Proud Clod shuddered and started to rise to its feet again. Two of the pipes leading up to the robot's 'face' cracked and then shattered, unable to take the strain. It took an immense amount of power to move the automaton, let alone fire its incredible Beam Cannon. It would not be long before it ran out of power entirely.

With the next two pipes shattered, the Proud Clod's entire left arm and leg fell limp. It tilted dangerously to one side but remained standing. Inside, Heidegger and Scarlet could be heard arguing heatedly. The Proud Clod jerked one way and then another; it seemed the two were fighting over control of the robot.

Cloud, watching this, was reminded vaguely of an old saying he'd heard once. Something about a divided house…? The swordsman dropped to his knees, breathing hard. This was taking too long… If they didn't stop Heidegger and Scarlet's rampage soon, then Midgar would…

"Hey, Cloud! Don't give up yet!" The swordsman looked up to find Cait standing close to him. The cat rubbed his nose and then held out his hand. "Give me that there Lightning materia of yours, would ya?"

Cloud did as he was told and removed the Lightning materia from his sword. He handed it to Cait, giving the cat a quizzical look. Cait Sith held the materia in his hands, passing it from palm to palm, as though testing it. Then he nodded, clasped it firmly in one hand, and then turned and ran across the Square to where Barret was busy firing obstinately at the Proud Clod.

"Yo, Barret!" the cat called as he ran. "Throw me at the chest plate!"

Pausing in his gunfire, Barret looked over at Cait. He saw the materia in the cat's hand and guessed what he had in mind. He turned. Cait jumped up and grabbed Barret's outstretched hand. The big man then turned, spinning on the spot to build up momentum and then, with all his might, hurled the cat towards the Proud Clod.

Cait Sith soared through the air, his arms and legs flailing. The Proud Clod zoomed in fast. He landed with a clank on the Proud Clod's head just below the face. He slid rapidly and scrabbled for a handhold. He eventually found one in the gridded slits that covered the chest plate. Cait Sith peered through the slits, into the faces of Heidegger and Scarlet.

"You!" hissed Scarlet. "What are you doing, Reeve?"

Cait refused to answer her. He wedged his boots into the slits below him and held the Lightning materia up against the chest plate. He called upon the materia's power. Sparks of electric white light began to form around him, drawn like a magnet into the materia and condensing into a single, flickering ball of light. Some of the electricity escaped the confines of the materia and danced across his arms and legs, and over his face. His whiskers quivered and the cat shook his head vigorously.

"Stop, Reeve!" roared Heidegger in alarm, realising what Cait was up to.

The materia flashed ready. Cait drew back his fist and slammed both it and the materia against the Proud Clod. The electricity was discharged upon contact and went zipping into the Proud Clod's main control room where Heidegger and Scarlet both sat. The two cried out and shielded their arms as the electricity zipped and flickered throughout the control room. The electricity danced over the consoles, sending powerful electric pulses racing through the Proud Clod.

Cait Sith, meanwhile, was thrown back by the shockwave caused by the materia's release. The cat tumbled through the air, rolling over and over. Down on the ground, his Mog bounded forward and jumped up to catch him. Cait crashed into the Mog's large, round torso and dropped into its arms. The cat looked around dazedly for a moment, and then turned his head to look at the Proud Clod.

Something was definitely wrong. The Proud Clod's body had fallen completely limp, supported only by the balance of its own feet. The mouth of the Proud Clod's face had fallen completely open, with mako pouring like blood from the orifice. Electricity crackled all over its body.

Inside, Scarlet was desperately trying to regain control of her precious robot. She refused… absolutely _refused…_ to accept that this band of pathetic wretches could defeat her. She stabbed buttons and pulled on knobs, turned dials and flicked switches, doing _anything_ to get some kind of response. All the while Heidegger watched her, his brows so high up his forehead they looked about ready to take off.

Scarlet eventually did get a reaction from the Proud Clod. It was not the reaction she wanted. The control console sparked and ignited, and flames gushed up in front of her. An alarm sounded inside the pod. The Proud Clod shuddered and shuffled backwards, back down the path it had come towards the train station.

"Not that!" Scarlet cried, her eyes widening. "This is the Proud Clod… … …!"

The shuddering intensified, until it looked like the robot was having some sort of extreme fit. The Proud Clod began to glow hotly, turning red first and then a fierce, hot white. Smoke poured from the chest plate. The robot stiffened. "Whooooa!" Heidegger's voice cried from inside the Clod.

Cloud and the others braced themselves. The Proud Clod gave one final shudder, one last struggle for life. Then it fell still… and then exploded. The explosion rocked the sector, both above the plate and under it. Despite bracing themselves, the companions found themselves thrown aside in the blast. A wave of hot smoke and dust filled the Square, blocking all vision and leaving them blind. They choked on the smoke, and their ears were deafened by the noise.

Then, gradually, the sound of the blast faded away. The dust began to settle; the smoke drifted away.

Cloud was the first to rise to his feet. The force of the explosion had left his body shaken, so he pushed the tip of the Buster Sword into the broken ground and used it to pull himself to his feet. The sound of the blast still echoed painfully inside his head. He shook his head to clear it, and more dirt fell from his hair.

Around him, the others were also beginning to stand. Cid finally climbed out of the fountain and walked—unsteadily—across the Square to where the broken remains of his spear lay. All that was left was the broken pole, but it was better than nothing. Vincent offered Tifa a supporting hand and helped her to her feet.

Cait climbed back on top of the Mog and shot a quick glance at the No. 7 Reactor. He sighed with relief. The rector was still dark inside, which meant they still had time.

He looked down the path to the burning remains of the Proud Clod. The chances of Scarlet and Heidegger surviving that blast would be next to none, but Cait did not feel too sad about that. He had never liked them, or the way they did things. It was not a great shame that the planet was, at last, free of their influence.

A loud rumble sounded overhead. Cait tore his eyes away from the ruined mech and turned them to the darkened sky. It was beginning to rain. He could feel the first raindrops touch his face. More drops followed. Soon the sky was heavy with rain, falling thick and fast over the city. Another roll of thunder boomed, followed, seconds later, by a flash of lightning.

Cait tapped the Mog on the head, and it began to hop across the Square to the steps leading up to the cannon. He stopped at the top of the first set of stairs and turned back to Cloud and the others, who were following slowly behind.

"This way, Cloud!" called Cait. He turned and began to hop up the steps again.

Cloud hurried to catch up with him. Vincent fell into step behind him, following the swordsman up. The gunman's eyes were on the mainframe, some distance above them. He could not see Hojo, but he knew the professor was there.

His hand strayed to his gun. It was loaded and ready. His thoughts went to Lucrecia, sleeping soundly in her crystal stasis, never to awaken again. Vincent wondered… Lucrecia had seen Sephiroth in her dreams… was she watching them now? In her mind's eye, did she see this very moment approaching?

Knowing what was about to occur, Vincent truly hoped that she wasn't.


	39. Part Fourteen: Chapter 37

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

After a few minutes of tiring climbing, the companions finally neared the top of the Sister Ray. By this point the storm had now fully settled over the city and though it was only early evening, the thick, black clouds gave the impression that it was already late in the night. The upper platforms creaked loudly as the storm's strong winds blew fiercely around them. The rain had eased off slightly, but not before it had soaked the companions through almost to the skin.

Cait stood at the top of the stairs, waiting impatiently for the rest of his friends to climb the last few steps. When they finally reached the top Yuffie dropped to her knees, exhausted by the long climb. The others were also tired, for there had been no time to rest following the battle with the Proud Clod. But their task was far from over, and Cait allowed them only a moment's rest to catch their breath before urging them forward once again.

The mainframe was just ahead. They saw Professor Hojo, standing with his back to them, working diligently away even as the wind and the rain buffeted the platform. Cloud and the others ran out onto the mainframe and stopped behind the professor. Though they did not anticipate a battle they drew their weapons anyway, to present a show of force.

"Hojo! Stop right there!"

Hojo paused in his work just long enough to turn his head around and glance over his shoulder. He did not seem particularly surprised to see them there, and also did not seem the least bit perturbed when he saw that they had drawn their weapons. The professor quickly scanned the group, analysing them in a moment, before his eyes finally settled on Cloud. His brow creased and he frowned.

"Oh… the failure," he said after a moment's pause, seemingly reminding himself.

Cloud scowled. "At least remember my name!" he said. "It's Cloud!"

Looking into the professor's face, Cloud got the feeling that something was wrong. Professor Hojo looked a little… off colour. Perhaps it was just the fatigue setting in, or the strange storm clouds overhead, but it made the professor look almost jaundiced. The swordsman dismissed it as his tired mind playing tricks on him.

Hojo waved a hand dismissively and turned back to the mainframe. He stretched out his hand to slowly and carefully twist one of the dials, speaking as he worked.

"Every time I see you," he said, "I… It pains me that I had so little scientific sense… I evaluated you as a failed project. But, you are the only one that succeeded as a Sephiroth-clone. Heh, heh, heh…" The professor chuckled at the bitter memory. "I'm eve beginning to hate myself.

"None of that matters…" said Cloud. "Just stop this nonsense!"

"Nonsense?" repeated Hojo, confused. "Oh, this?"

Hojo finally stopped working and turned around to face the group, folding his hands neatly behind his back. Now that they stood face-to-face, Cloud once again got the feeling that there was something undeniably wrong with him. The professor's face had a distinct yellowish hue and his eyes, behind his glasses, were somewhat glazed. Beads of sweat dotted his brow. Yet Professor Hojo seemed to be completely unaware of all this. Either unaware or no longer cared.

"Sephiroth seems to be counting on the energy," Hojo said, ignoring the gasps of surprise at his face. He turned and waved his hand, gesturing to the five glowing reactors and the two dark ones around the city. "So I'm going to lend him a hand."

"Why!" demanded Cloud angrily. He stepped forward. "Why do that!"

Hojo looked at him and scowled. "Quit asking why, you moron," he snapped fiercely. Then he stopped himself and looked at Cloud appraisingly, pushing his glasses up. "Hmm… actually, you might be cut out to be a scientist," he added thoughtfully.

Still thinking, Hojo turned back to the mainframe and leaned over it to look at one of the readouts. "Energy level is at… 83%," he said to himself. "It's taking too long." He began to work again.

Cloud's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, and he took a step forward. Tifa quickly caught up to him and placed her fingers gently on his arm. Feeling her touch, Cloud stopped. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It would do them no good for him to lose his temper here. They had to reason with Hojo… somehow dissuade him from this course of action.

Then Hojo said something that caused the blood in his veins to freeze over.

"My son is in need of power and help. …That's the only reason."

There was a long pause. "…Your son?" asked Cloud, breaking the silence.

A cold, cruel smile touched Hojo's lips. "Although he doesn't know," he added. He laughed to himself, a combination of bitterness and humour. "What will Sephiroth think when he finds out I'm his father? Always looking down on me like that." He laughed again and turned another dial on the console. The top of the No. 7 Reactor slowly opened up, and a faint, greenish glow radiated from inside.

There was another long pause. For a moment no one could really take it in. As the meaning of those words finally sank in, they all gasped in horror, staring at Hojo.

Cloud's eyes widened. "Sephiroth is your son!" he cried.

"…!" Vincent ran forward to stand by Cloud, his red eyes wild.

Hojo laughed, amused at their surprise. "I offered the woman with my child to Professor Gast's Jenova Project," he told them. He paused and looked up at the dark sky. A beat of sweat trickled down his face. "When Sephiroth was still in the womb, we took the cells of Jenova…" He let the sentence hang, and he laughed.

Vincent, hearing this, shook his head. This…_ this…_ he had never known. He tried to find words—words that were strong enough to convey the pain and anguish that he felt right then. All these years he had waited. And now, at the crucial moment, words escaped him. "You…!" was all he could say.

Lucrecia, he knew, was Sephiroth's mother—his biological mother. Though, as far as Sephiroth was concerned, his mother was Jenova. The father… Vincent had never considered. He had assumed a donor had been found to participate in the Jenova Project. Not once did it occur to him that Lucrecia might have…

Pain gripped Vincent's heart so tightly that he feared he might collapse. Had he inadvertently driven Lucrecia so far that she would willingly bear this man's child, to be used in a scientific experiment! And through that experiment, Lucrecia herself had been injected with Jenova's cells.

Guilt and shame swelled inside him. Oh, those familiar feelings; they were second nature to him now. Yet now those feelings were tinged with another feeling: anger. Anger directed at the man who stood before him now. Hojo was actually laughing… laughing! After all the pain he had caused… not only to Lucrecia, but to himself, Cloud… in fact everyone who had ever come into contact with this deranged man. His hand went to his gun, his fingers twitching.

"I can't believe you're the one who did this…" said Cloud, cutting into Vincent's thoughts. "The illusionary crime against Sephiroth…"

Hojo stopped his work and turned to face the companions again. He was still laughing. "No, you're wrong!" he said. "It's my desire as a scientist!"

And he laughed again. And again. It was a horrible, cackling laugh. Its sound pierced through the falling rain and even the rolling thunder, like something out of a horror film. A bolt of lightning lit the sky, almost immediately followed by a clap of thunder so loud it deafened them. The wind picked up, blowing the long lengths of Hojo's lab coat around his rain-soaked body. All the while, Hojo laughed uncontrollably.

A dark realisation dawned in Vincent's eyes. For thirty years he had slept in that coffin in Shinra Mansion, dreaming of his sins and his shame, believing that he alone was responsible for what happened to Lucrecia. He had not been strong enough to stop her from taking part in the Jenova Project… he who had driven her into this man's arms. Now she slept an eternal sleep in a case of crystal, waiting for the Jenova cells that kept her alive to finally allow her to die.

But here before him, he realised now, was the real perpetrator of Lucrecia's suffering. It was Hojo who had succeeded where Vincent had failed, persuading Lucrecia to bear the child that would be used in the experiment. Vincent's shame was that he could not stop her, but this man's sin was far greater!

"…I was… wrong," said Vincent softly. He closed his eyes. Lucrecia's image came to him, as it always did, though now her image was encased in crystal. Once more he apologised and slowly drew his gun. "The one who should have slept was…" His eyes flared open. "…You, Hojo!"

Hojo's laughter finally stopped. His smile—that cold, cruel, insane smile—continued to twist his face. Sweat, mixed with raindrops, rolled down his jaundiced face until they rolled off the point of his chin. His eyes, gazed with a burning fear, gazed at the group in bitterness and loathing.

"I… was defeated by my desire to become a scientist," he admitted finally. "I lost the last time as well." He took a few steps forward. His smile widened and he chuckled once again. His chuckle grew in volume until it became a manic, cackling laugh. "I've injected Jenova cells into my own body!" he announced gleefully. "Hee, hee, hee! Here are… Heee, hee, hee! …My results!"

The professor stretched out his hands. To the companions' horror, they saw that the skin of his hands was bubbling, as though dipped in acid. Droplets of green-yellow ooze dripped from his fingertips and onto the floor. There it bubbled and thickened, congealing into a thick, gooey mass at the professor's feet.

A foul, acrid stench filled the air. The companions covered their noses and watched in growing revulsion as the ooze began to swell and rise from the ground, forming into a shapeless, gelatinous mass. The mass stretched and split into two before finally taking shape, into the form of two monsters of Hojo's own design.

The first monster, on Hojo's left, was a Poodler Sample. The monster resembled the crustacean monsters that patrolled the shores of the Costa Plains, with a hard shell and three long, thick tentacles that waved about tentatively in search of food. On Hojo's right was the second monster, known as a Bad Rap. The Bad Rap could only be described as a large, inflated octopus that hovered six inches off the ground. Its own tentacles waved about beneath its inflated body, endlessly searching for prey.

Ooze dripped slowly off the monsters' bodies, and as they watched the ooze gradually thinned and evaporated. The beady eyes of the Bad Rap flickered this way and that, and the Poodler, sensing prey, stretched its three tentacles eagerly in their direction. Neither moved, however, as Hojo held them in thrall. The professor snapped his now normal fingers, and the two monsters surged forward.

Quickly Cloud raised his sword and slashed it down in front of him as the Poodler pulled ahead of its slower compatriot and threw itself into a powerful body slam. The monster's hard outer shell smashed into the flat side of the Buster Sword's blade. Cloud winced as pain shot up his arm to his shoulder, almost wrenching it out of the socket. He gritted his teeth against the pain and pushed against the blade, keeping the monster at bay.

There was a flash of green as the Bad Rap moved right past him and headed towards Yuffie, who was nearest. Its tentacles moved about fervently, reaching for her. The ninja leaped out of the way of the roaming tentacles and threw her shuriken, but it missed and zipped soundly past. Barret raised his gun to take it down but Red XIII ran in front of the monster, blocking his aim. Red XIII snarled and leaped at the monster, jaws open, ready to tear it apart.

The Bad Rap flicked one of its tentacles and caught the hound on the shoulder. Red XIII yelped in pain and fell onto the floor. He tried to stand, but his legs buckled beneath him. He began to shudder violently as the poison spread quickly throughout his body.

Cait saw Red XIII fall. The cat quickly turned and rummaged about in the storage compartment in the Mog's back. Potion, Elixir… Aha! Cait found the bottle he was looking for. There came the heavy drone of gunfire as Barret opened fire upon the advancing Bad Rap, roaring in anger as he did so. Cait grasped the Antidote bottle firmly in one hand before he jumped off the Mog and hurried toward Red XIII.

Cloud, meanwhile, was still struggling with the Poodler. After realising that it could not smash its way through the Buster Sword, it wrapped two of its tentacles tightly around the blade and refused to let go. The third tentacle snaked along Cloud's arm, dripping ooze and heading for Cloud's unprotected neck. Cloud tried to use the Lightning materia to halt the monster in its tracks, but nothing happened. Then he remembered: he had thrown the materia to Cait during the previous battle. For a moment he wondered if he should let go of the sword to defend himself, but that meant giving up his weapon… and he could not do that.

Beside the mainframe, Hojo watched with absolute glee as the Poodler's tentacle wound its way around Cloud's neck. The Poodler began to squeeze, and Cloud gasped. He put all his strength into his arms as he tried to push the monster away from him, but the Poodler had a very strong grip and would not budge. In the end Cloud reluctantly let go of the Buster Sword and attempted to pry the tentacle from his neck. Seeing that he had released his sword, the Poodler also let go and began to wind its two tentacles around Cloud's arms, tightening around his wrists and pulling them free.

"Cloud!"

Tifa ran up behind the Poodler. She grabbed onto the edge of its ribbed shell and pulled. The Poodler screeched in protest. It released its hold on Cloud's wrists and instead wrapped them right around the swordsman's neck. The swordsman pulled on the tentacles, but the ooze made the flesh slippery—he could not get a grip.

Tifa was getting nowhere either. She let go of the shell and moved around to Cloud's side. The Poodler's tiny head, just beneath the shell, turned to look at her. Tifa met the monster's gaze, scowled, and then drew back her fist. She punched, and her fist smashed right through the shell and into the squishy contents inside. The Poodler screeched and its whole body shuddered in pain. More ooze and black blood spurted out of the hole Tifa made, spilling over her hands and arms.

The Poodler gave another violent shudder; its body stiffened like a stick. Its eyes then rolled back into its head and it fell limp. The tentacles around Cloud's neck slackened, and the swordsman shoved them away.

Behind them the Bad Rap lunged at Yuffie once more, waving its numerous, poison-tipped tentacles. And once again Yuffie leaped backwards. Her shuriken, after completing its circuit of the upper level, had returned to her hand and now she threw it again in a more concise arc towards the monster. The crystal-tipped edges sliced through three of the monster's tentacles; these dropped to the floor and flapped about like fish out of water.

The Bad Rap, however, seemed completely unfazed by the loss of its limbs. It also did not seem bothered by the bullet wounds that covered its body. It continued to make its way steadily towards her, its tiny eyes fixed upon her. A small slit—its mouth—appeared in the middle of its face. The slit grew wider, taking up almost all of its face. When it opened its mouth Yuffie saw row upon row of tiny, jagged teeth, dripping with saliva and chomping hungrily.

The Bad Rap lunged again, its mouth open wide. At the same time Barret finished clearing a jam in his gun-arm and fired a test round at the Bad Rap. The shot ripped open a large, bloody wound in the Bad Rap's flesh, leaking green-black blood. The monster gave a jolt and temporarily paused, its eyes darting left and right. Its mouth closed. The monster then slowly turned around to face Barret. It stared at him for a moment, and then suddenly lurched at him.

Barret made to raise his gun-arm, but the Bad Rap moved with such surprising swiftness that he could not raise it fast enough. The monster's mouth opened and it clamped its jaws around Barret's good arm. Barret gave a pained cry as dozens of tiny teeth sank into his flesh. He felt the hot trickle of blood down his arm.

Through the hazy pain Barret saw the monster's tentacles reaching for him. Barret gritted his teeth and thrust out his arm, keeping the monster at arm's length. Then he raised his gun-arm, took aim, and fired a single shot at the monster's head, right between its eyes.

The bullet struck home. The Bad Rap gave a gargled cry as it was thrown back, leaving more than one of its teeth embedded in Barret's blood-soaked arm. Though the shot should have killed it outright the monster continued to live, although its movements were jerky and strained.

Barret was about to open fire on it again when Cid brushed him aside with a casual remark about him hogging all the fun. The pilot walked just as casually up to the struggling creature and, with a flick of his wrist, thrust the broken ends of spear into the creature's head. The jagged edges cut through the flesh easily and the Bad Rap shrieked in pain. It fell to the floor, still writhing. Cid placed one boot gently on its wriggling body and pushed down on the spear until it touched metal on the other side. The Bad Rap's blood-filled mouth quivered and then fell still. A second later the monster began to dissolve, turning back into yellowish ooze that sank through the grating and out of sight. Cid lifted his spear, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

Hojo watched the skirmish with interest. The smile on his face widened. Sweat was dripping profusely down his yellowish face; his shirt and trousers were damp with it. He laughed gleefully as he saw Cid wipe his spear clean, Red XIII slowly stagger to his feet with Cait Sith's help, and as Cloud and Tifa lifted the Poodler's corpse and toss it unceremoniously over the side of the railings.

Yes… he thought, as he saw the ease with which the rebels had dispatched the monsters he had summoned. Yes… this was just what he expected of them!

His eyes were then drawn to Vincent, who stepped forward to stand before him. The gunman had made no move during the course of the battle, and had instead spent the time staring closely at Hojo.

Their eyes met. Vincent's face was partially hidden behind the tall collar of his cloak, and the long lengths of his dark hair framed his face. His eyes, however, were clearly visible. Those eyes… Hojo remembered those eyes clearly. They had glared at him back then, too… That same angry, defiant glare… Here was another failed experiment…

Just as Hojo was thinking this, Vincent's body glowed brightly, as he began to transform into one of the many beasts that had had heir DNA infused with his. The professor raised an arm to shield his eyes. When the light faded he lowered his arm and peered out. When he did, he almost gasped.

The beast that Vincent had chosen… was Chaos.

Hojo's eyes widened… and then his look of shock twisted into a cruel and evil grin. A dozen thoughts and memories flashed through his mind at once. A bead of sweat trickled down his nose and dripped off the end as the professor made up his mind. So be it.

The rest of the rebels gathered around Chaos and stood facing Hojo. Each of them had the same defiant look in their eyes, strong and unwavering. The professor, chuckling, removed his glasses.

"Haw…" he laughed, "now let's see how the Mako Juice is reacting?"

The professor spread his arms wide. Steam rose from his hands, his arms, and his face. The skin bubbled and began to melt into a sickening, foul-smelling ooze. The professor threw back his head and laughed manically as his body began to twist and bend, warping into something hideous and inhuman. Bones cracked and reshaped. Skin was stretched and twisted, splitting and shredding to reveal the muscles growing underneath. The professor's lab clothes were ripped apart by his rapidly deforming body, falling in loose shreds at his feet. Those same feet quickly vanished, melting into the rest of his body.

All the while the professor laughed, even as his body twisted and stretched, and blood slicked through the open wounds caused by his splitting skin. Eventually even his face became deformed as his lower jaw was stretched wide open, until his face became a grotesque mask of horror. His eyes became hollow and dead. Folds of flesh hit the floor, and the newly created Heletic Hojo leaned heavily to one side. His two arms, massive and heavy, dragged against the floor.

The companions could only watch in terror as Hojo's transformation was completed. The elongated head, thrown back in laughter, slowly raised and settled its dark gaze upon them. They each felt a cold chill down their spines as the hollowed, empty eyes fell on them, but they stood firm, refusing to waver now.

Chaos reached into his holster and drew out his gun. The barrel clicked as it loaded.

In a deep voice, he said: "Let's finish this."

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

_And that's another chapter done. I fear I may not finish the fic in time to meet the deadline (six weeks left!) but I should be pretty damn close. Of course I will do my very best to meet the target, but I fear I may fall a bit short. It all depends on how long the battles stretch out._


	40. Part Fourteen: Chapter 38

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

_Just to let you know this chapter comes with a bit of a health warning. Yeah… you can tell I've been watching Advent Children: Complete; this chapter is a bit more gruesome. It's like up to now the novel has been AC level, and now it is ACC level. My nightmares finally come in handy! So if you have a nervous disposition and don't like reading a bit of gore, I advise you skip this one._

* * *

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

The storm over Midgar was growing stronger with each passing moment. The clouds, tinted red by Meteor's burning light, cast eerie red shadows over the city. The five mako reactors currently active continued to glow as more and more mako was forcibly sucked from beneath the planet's crust. Alarms rang out in warning, and every so often the city was shaken by strong tremors as the planet protested.

In the streets, the panic had grown out of control. The citizens had given up trying to fight their way past the soldiers and now flooded the streets, trying to find other ways to escape the doomed city. Some had given up all hope of escape and turned their fear and rage upon the city, using sticks and bats to smash up cars, windows, anything they could lay their hands. Overwhelmed by fear, there was nothing else that they could do. Their actions were pointless, but to them it was better than sitting and waiting to die.

The soldiers protecting the Shinra Building had also abandoned their posts at this point, choosing to save themselves and their families now that everything else seemed hopeless. With nobody left to guard the doors, numerous terrified employees quickly made their escape and ran out into the blowing wind and pouring rain, hoping to find some means of escape amidst the panic.

High up overhead, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. Just like the clouds, the bolt was also tinted a deep red. Its light lit the Sister Ray in a flash of crimson light, and anyone looking up at that moment could just make out, in that flash, the terrifying battle that was ensuing above them.

Helletic Hojo—the bizarre, deformed monster created by the mutation of the Jenova's cells—was the fiercest opponent the companions had ever faced. After the almost trivial clash with the Poodler and the Bad Rap they had felt confident in their ability to win. They did not believe that Hojo could be any worse.

They had been utterly,_ horribly_ wrong.

Despite his malformed body, Hojo was monstrously strong. The cells that he had injected into his body had granted him unbelievable strength that was equal to or greater than of any member of SOLDIER… almost like Sephiroth himself. And as well as being granted great physical strength, Jenova's cells had also given Hojo great magical strength. Yet it was his physical strength that Hojo preferred, and used to great effect against the companions.

Helletic Hojo raised his right arm, which was swollen and shaped like a hammer, and swung it across him, aiming to strike Tifa as she charged in for an assault. The fighter ducked down, letting the arm sail overhead, but when she rose to continue her charge the arm suddenly swung back and caught her in the chest. The fighter cried out, her breath escaping her, as she was flung to the side. She slammed hard into a water container, denting the metal, and slumped to the floor.

With his attention elsewhere, Cid ran in from the other side and thrust out his broken spear. Without even turning his head Hojo lifted his three-pronged left hand to block the attack. The broken ends of the spear fell sank deep into the flesh. Black-green blood seeped out of the wound, but Hojo did not seem to feel it. Cid, cursing, tried to yank the pole out again, but found that it would not move.

Now Hojo's head turned, moving erratically, and looked at him. As those sightless, empty eyes fell on him the pilot froze in fear. Hojo's long, open mouth twitched and saliva dripped hungrily—a hunger the professor would never be able to satisfy. With an angry roar Hojo swung his right arm and knocked the pilot aside. Cid hit the ground and rolled, leaving his spear stuck in the monster's hand.

Cloud was running up behind. When he neared Hojo he jumped into the air, raising his sword above his head. Mercilessly he brought it down on Hojo's right shoulder, hoping to sever the swinging arm. The blade hit the flesh and sliced through, sinking in about five inches before stopping and becoming stuck in the flesh. Cloud yanked on the blade, but like Cid's pole it would not budge. He then noticed a black-green, bubbling liquid was seeping out of the wound, sticking to the blade like glue and holding it in place. Even the Hellatic's mutated blood was a weapon.

Sensing the annoyance behind him, Hojo started to reach behind with his left arm to give the swordsman a painful, magic-enhanced jab. Red XIII leaped over Cid and pounced on the arm, pinning it to the floor and pulling Hojo down on one side. The pole snapped again. Red XIII closed his jaws around the arm. Black-green blood filled his mouth and he gagged, but he refused to let go. Now Hojo was leaning precariously over to his left, with his right arm still swinging in the air. Chaos swooped down from above and fired, ripping a hole through the hammer's flesh.

Following Chaos's lead, Barret opened fire and unleashed a volley of ice bullets at Hojo. The Helletic raised its right arm and used it to shield his face from the bullets. The ice bullets ripped through the flesh but could not pierce it all the way through, and the thick blood running through Hojo's veins stopped the ice from taking effect.

When Barret paused to reload his gun, the Helletic thrust out its arm. The skin and muscles stretched like elastic, reaching out for Barret. Barret saw the arm approaching and quickly jumped back just as the hammer-like fist smashed into the ground. It smashed right through the metal grating, leaving a giant hole in its wake, before slowly retreating back to the main body. Barret skidded to a stop, finished reloading his gun, and opened fire once more.

There was a blur as Yuffie darted past him, determined not to be left out of the action. She had a shuriken in each hand, and when Barret paused in his assault she leaped into the air and hurled the Conformer away from her. The shuriken made a loud whistling sound as it zipped through the air. It struck Hojo in his right arm right next to where Cloud was still struggling to free the Buster Sword. The Conformer cut through the sticky strands of blood and Cloud pulled his blade free.

Yuffie landed on Hojo's outstretched arm, which was sliding slowly along the grating. She ran along the arm, her boots bouncing slightly on the stretched out skin to the shoulder. Whipping out her second shuriken, she swiped it across Hojo's face. The shuriken's blades sliced easily through the flesh, moving so fast the blood that spurted out did not have time to stick. Yuffie whipped her shuriken back, grinning.

Movement caught her eye. On Hojo's other side, the Helletic began to drag its left arm up to strike her, with Red XIII still attached. The ninja held her arm with the shuriken behind her back as jumped out of the way, flipping up and over. Red XIII lost his grip as the arm moved over and dropped down behind Hojo. Yuffie landed on Hojo's other shoulder, dropped down low and sliced her shuriken again. She caught Hojo on the other side of his face, and more blood shot into the air.

Hojo screamed. It was a terrifying, high-pitched scream. It resonated in the very deepest recesses of the brain, making it almost impossible to blot out. Yuffie clamped her hands over ears. Her foot slipped and she fell backward, landing in Cloud's arms as he reached out to catch her. The swordsman was also on his knees, eyes shut tight as he tried to ignore the terrible sound.

At that moment Tifa was just struggling to her feet. She took a few uneasy steps forward, her head pounding. When Hojo screamed she put her hands over her ears and dropped onto her knees. Her vision swam and she feared that she might pass out. Her thoughts reeled. What was going on…? What was that awful sound?

A pair of hands closed over her ears. Tifa lifted her head and saw a black and white cat with a golden crown on its head standing in front of her.

"Tifa," a voice was saying, and the cat's mouth moved. "Tifa, hold on! Don't listen!"

Tifa blinked. She shook her head again. Her head ached painfully, as though she had hit it hard. A dull, fuzzy sensation washed over her. She looked up at the cat again. Who was this cat…? Was it her enemy?

The cat's head turned away from her and shouted something over its shoulder. The horrible scream had stopped, but Tifa could still hear it ringing inside her head. Her eyes flitted back and forth warily. There were more figures nearby, all of them moving. There was the clash of metal and the dull, droning sound of gunfire. Tifa realised then that she was surrounded by enemies, all of them fighting amongst themselves. If she struck quick, then maybe she could…

The cat still was not watching her. Cautiously, she drew back her fist. The cat turned back… and she punched him right in the face. The cat cried out, his paws over his nose. He staggered back and then fell to the floor, stunned.

Tifa took her chance. She climbed to her feet and rushed into the fray. Her head was pounding as she moved, and there was a nagging voice somewhere inside that was telling her something was wrong, but she ignored it and carried on forward. She had to destroy these unknown enemies before they destroyed her.

She ran to the nearest of the unknown figures—all she could see was a blur of blue and yellow—grabbed him by his shoulder and spun him around to face her. She punched, caught the foe on the chin and sent him hurtling backward.

Without waiting for him to recover, Tifa dived onto the figure. She pinned him down and began to punch him repeatedly, her dark eyes blazing. Over the sound of the gunshots she thought she heard someone call her name, but in her confusion she could not understand. The figure below her tried to stop her by grabbing her hands, but Tifa just wrenched her arms free and kept on punching.

"Tifa! Snap out of it!" Another voice, followed by a grunt and a thud as something large and fleshy in the corner of Tifa's vision swept it aside.

Cloud rolled onto his knees, dodging another hammer-blow from Helletic Hojo. He looked over at Tifa. Hojo's terrifying scream had caused the fighter to become Confused: a terrible state where the victim was no longer able to distinguish friend from foe. As he watched Cid tried once more to grab her hands and stop her onslaught, and Barret called out her name, trying to snap her out of it. Eventually the big man was forced to stop firing at Hojo and ran over to her. He hooked his arms under hers and dragged her off.

"Tifa!" called Barret. She turned to face him, her fist raised to strike him across the face. Quickly Barret raised his gun-arm, and her fist thudded hard against it. Holding her by the arms, he gave her a shake. "Snap out of it, Tifa!" He shook her again.

Tifa stared at him, her expression fuzzy. Then she blinked repeatedly and shook her head. The ringing scream faded, and her thoughts finally cleared. She looked up at Barret, who was relieved to see recognition in her eyes. "Barret…" Tifa said, now confused on another level. "What happened?"

"You almost beat me to a pulp is what happened," Cid groaned, struggling to his feet. He touched his jaw, which was sore. That was going to bruise.

A guilty look passed over Tifa's face as she remembered. "Oh, Cid! I'm so sorry!"

Cloud's voice cut through their exchange. "Get down!"

Hojo had seen the three standing together and had thrust out both of his arms. The elastic-like skin of his arms stretched, reaching for them. Barret grabbed Tifa and pulled her aside, and Cid dived out of the way as the two hands crashed into the ground where they had been standing.

The fists smashed through the grating and also through the pipes that ran along underneath. Clouds of hot steam, thick with the stench of mako, billowed into the air. Helletic Hojo howled in agony as the piping hot steam burned his hands. He pulled on his arms, trying to draw them back, but they were caught on the grating. So instead he howled in pain.

Cloud rose to his feet and heaved his sword onto his back. A glancing blow by one of the arms had left him winded, and he was only just getting his breath back. There was no time for him to rest, however. With Hojo's arms temporarily immobilised, they had a chance to strike. He held his sword level before him, and then charged.

Cloud slashed the blade in an upward arc and struck the underside of Hojo's left shoulder. Following Yuffie's example he kept the blade moving, not allowing it to slow lest the glue-like blood caused it to stick in place again. He pushed and the blade eventually cut right through. He saw the stretched out muscles of the arm snap with a loud 'twang' and the arm jerked forward. It was attached only by a thin layer of stretched out skin. Cloud swung his sword once more and severed the arm completely. It shot forward a few feet, like a released rubber band, before dropping onto the floor.

Hojo shrieked and turned to Cloud. He started to shuffle forwards but stopped as Red XIII landed on his back, dug in his claws and sank his teeth into his neck. Hojo finally managed to detach his right hand from the floor and brought it back, raised, to knock the hound from his back. Red XIII saw it coming and nimbly leaped out of the way. The arm, however, was moving too fast and swung over Hojo's shoulder, striking him in his own misshapen back. Hojo lurched forward.

Cloud saw his chance. He raised his blade over his head and brought it down on Hojo's head. The Helletic pulled its head back at the last second. Unwinding his arm he swung it at Cloud, who jumped back. As he did with Tifa, Hojo tried to swing his arm back and catch Cloud off-guard, but was stopped as Yuffie ran in and met the oncoming fist with a punch of her own. She added to her punch the strength of the Earth materia, and its strong vibrations caused the hand to stop in its tracks.

A shot fired from above as Chaos finally saw his opening. With an absolutely perfect aim he fired three shots into Hojo's remaining arm. Muscles were severed and blood shot into the air. But the arm was still moving, even with half the muscles severed.

While Hojo screamed in rage Tifa, now recovered from her confusion, rushed in and gave Hojo a punch in his jaw. There was a crunch as the bones were crushed beneath her might, and Hojo's was thrust backward. Just as he was heading back Red XIII leaped onto his back, sending Hojo careening forward again until he was within range of Cloud's sword. The swordsman swung his sword, but even through the blood and pain Hojo was still aware and pulled his head out of the way. The blade crashed into the floor, damaging only the grating.

Barret fired round after round. The Ice materia was all used up so he was forced to use ordinary bullets, but these were enough. They tore through Hojo's swinging arm, completing the job that Chaos had started and severing the last of the muscles that allowed the arm to move. The arm fell limp at Hojo's side, swinging loosely.

Once again Hojo shrieked as both of its arms became useless. Cloud ran in front of him and slashed his sword, cutting a long and bloody gash across Hojo's chest. The Helletic reeled backwards, rasping for breath. Yuffie, behind Hojo, swiped her shuriken along the base of Hojo's spine. The flesh here was tougher and she could not cut completely through, but it was enough to send Hojo toppling forward… and straight into the arms of Chaos.

Chaos had descended from the sky and caught Hojo as he fell forward. Hojo slowly raised his misshapen, elongated head and looked at Chaos through sightless, hollowed eyes. Chaos stared back at him, his face cold and expressionless.

Chaos then gripped Hojo by his neck and held him up at arm's length. The two continued to stare at each other. Around them, Cloud and the others held back, letting the silent exchange continue.

Hojo tried to speak, but Chaos silenced him by tightening his grip around the deformed professor's throat. No, Hojo was not a professor anymore. He was just a monster, plain and simple. Chaos raised his gun and pressed the barrel lightly against Hojo's forehead. His lips closed into a firm, steady line.

He fired.

The bullet went straight through Hojo's head and came out the other side. The force threw Hojo's head back, wrenching it from Chaos's hand. A small spray of black-green blood burst from the wound. The monster's body went flying back, carried by the force of the shot. The companions quickly separated as the Helletic's body slammed into the floor. Its head rolled onto one side, dead.

Chaos glowed white, and Vincent returned to his normal form. He spun the gun once and then placed it back in its holster.

"It's over," he said and then turned away. He started to walk across the platform towards the stairs, leaving the corpse behind.

"…_Not… …quite…"_

The voice was rasping and guttural. Vincent stopped. He looked back over his shoulder. His friends were staring at the corpse in horror and drawing steadily back.

Hojo was still alive. Even though the shot had ripped a hole through his brain, the Jenova cells inside of him were so strong that they refused to let him die so easily. The Helletic's body shuddered and began to rise up off the floor. The bullet wound in its head rippled and closed. The head snapped up with a crack, staring at Vincent.

The wounds that had been inflicted upon it bubbled blood. The flesh stretched and then split open with a sickening _riiiiip_. Bones cracked apart, and organs dripped onto the floor. Tifa screamed and clung to Barret's arm.

A bulge appeared at the bloodied stump of Hojo's left shoulder. It swelled and burst open with a spray of black-green blood. The spray narrowly missed Red XIII, who sniffed it and then growled menacingly. The scent was tainted and disgusting, like something rotting from the inside.

A tentacle emerged from the burst swelling. It wiggled about before sliding out fully with a slurping sound. It slid until it touched the floor, dripping liquid. A second bulge appeared above the shoulder of the immobilised right arm. This too burst open and the right arm dropped down onto the floor, severed. A second tentacle, shorter than the first, slid out of the opening. The Helletic's rear end broke away and a tail slid out, waving back and forth eagerly.

Cloud lowered his sword and stared in open-mouthed horror as Hojo then leaned far back. The flesh of his chest split open further and unfolded like a jacket, slipping off the shoulders and falling into a bloody, messy pile on the floor. What was left behind rose up, shaking itself free of the remains.

This new Lifeform showed no resemblance to Hojo at all. If anything Hojo was all but gone. The mutated Jenova cells he had injected into his bloodstream had taken him over completely, leaving nothing but a monster behind. This monster looked very much like a ghoul out of nightmare with skin that was a dark, lifeless grey, but with bands of yellow around its waist and over its head. It had no hands or feet, just two smooth, long tentacles for arms and a thick tentacle that was its tail.

The Hojo Lifeform raised its head. Its face was smooth and almost featureless, covered by what looked like a thin layer of metal. Like the Helletic it had no eyes; just empty, flat eye sockets. Yet some malevolent was peering out at them; they could feel its cold stare moving over them. It chest rose, and a deep growl rumbled from inside its throat. The Lifeform paused, taking them in, and then attacked.

The Lifeform moved at surprising speed—far faster than they would have expected it to—and slammed its body hard into Vincent, who was directly ahead. The gunman fell back onto the grating with the Lifeform on top of him. His gun slipped out of its holster and clattered across the floor.

Red XIII turned to Barret, who was just raising his gun. "No, don't!" the hound called to him in warning. "You might hit Vincent!"

The resistance leader stopped, hesitant. The Lifeform was so close to Vincent, it was possible he could miss, or a bullet could ricochet and hit the gunman instead. Barret waited, his gun-arm raised, keeping his eyes peeled for an opening.

Tifa had no such restrictions, and as such she darted in. She only managed to land a couple of punches before the Lifeform flicked its tentacle tail and knocked her off her feet. As she fell, the Lifeform wrapped its tail around her ankle and with a single effortless flick sent her flying backwards. Cloud ran in to catch her. She slammed into him hard, winding him. He staggered back and fell against the mainframe, winded. Tifa, in his arms, pushed herself onto her knees.

Vincent meanwhile, struggled beneath the monster. The Lifeform had wrapped its two tentacle-like arms around Vincent's wrists, and had used its own weight to keep the gunman pinned and unable to escape. Now that the monster was up close Vincent could see that it _did_ have a mouth, small and thin, across the middle of its smooth face. This mouth opened up now as the Lifeform leaned in close, hungry.

Vincent tried to reach for his gun but it was too far away—his fingers could not reach it. Giving up Vincent turned back to the Lifeform, which was now just centimetres from his throat. A shot suddenly fired and the Lifeform jerked back with a cry—Barret had forsaken safety and fired a round into the Lifeform's side.

The diversion did the trick. The tentacles around Vincent's wrists slackened, allowing the gunman to break free. He wriggled upwards, just enough to bring up his book and kick the Lifeform in the chest. The monster fell backwards, and without waiting for it to recover, Vincent pushed himself backwards and rushed for his gun.

He scooped up the gun. Luckily it was already loaded, so all he had to do was turn and fire. Unfortunately in his panic the shot missed—a rare occurrence—and the Lifeform, now recovered from its initial shock, lunged at him again.

The gunman jumped back. He tried to reload his weapon, but the bullet got stuck in the barrel and would not come loose. He then looked up as Cait Sith leaped in front of him. Holding Cloud's Lightning materia in his open palm, the cat called upon its power and released six bolts of energy at the Lifeform. Two of these bolts hit the ground, but the remaining four struck home. The Lifeform reared back and screamed in agony as its body was became a mass of electrified energy. Its tentacles quivered, and its tail thrashed against the floor.

Cait Sith lowered the materia and looked back at Vincent, giving him the thumbs up. While his back was turned the Lifeform, its body still crackling with electricity, lunged forward and struck the cat with the tip of its long left arm.

The blow sent the cat flying through the air, though something strange had happened to his body. The instant the Lifeform's arm touched him Cait's body froze solid and became completely immobile. Even when Cait hit the ground he did not move, and so he was completely helpless as he rolled over and over. He rolled dangerously close to the edge of the platform. Red XIII, seeing this, leaped across and snatched the cat up off the ground, held him gently in his jaws, and then jumped to safety.

Seeing that it had failed to eliminate Cait, the Lifeform screeched and lunged again in the direction of Red XIII. It did not get far before it stopped and screeched in agonised pain. Its torso then split open and the tip of a large, flat blade pushed its way out. The Lifeform glanced over its shoulder and glared at Cloud, who was standing right behind it, the Buster Sword embedded in its back. As the Lifeform moved Cloud pushed the blade in further, causing it to stop again.

Intending to stop Cloud as it had done Cait, the Lifeform started to swing one of its tentacles. This time it was stopped by Tifa, who rushed in and grabbed hold of the arm before it could reach Cloud. Grasping it firmly she pulled it away from him, ensuring at all times that the tip could not reach her. Before the Lifeform could react, Yuffie ran up on its other side and grabbed hold of its other arm. Now both arms were immobile and unable to move.

Only the tail was still moving. This Cid solved by running up beside Cloud and thrusting the remains of his broken spear through the tail's tip. The spear lodged in the grating and held there.

With his blade still stuck in the Lifeform's back, Cloud shouted: "Vincent, use Ultima! Finish him off, quick!"

Vincent rose to his feet. The Ultima materia was in the gauntlet around his left wrist. He unhooked it and held it in his palm. The materia was deep green with a black centre, with small waves of colour passing through it. Ultima was a risky materia; its effects were varied. Right now, however, it was brimming with power. The gunman closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then hurled it at the Lifeform.

The materia clattered onto the floor beneath the Lifeform. It glimmered brightly. At the same time Cloud withdrew his blade and leaped backwards along with the rest of his friends. The Lifeform started to turn. The Ultima materia grew hot… and then exploded.

The Lifeform shrieked as a wave of burning white light erupted around it. The heat radiating from the light was intense; it burned and purified. The Lifeform's body shuddered violently as the light burned its way all the way down to the cells. The Lifeform raised its tentacle arms to shield its face, but the arms were already bubbling and melting, turning into liquid. Its tail followed suit, and the Lifeform dropped to the ground.

The light from Ultima continued shining in waves tinged with glittering colour. Its light was so bright that Cloud and the others had to shield their eyes, lest they be blinded by its intensity. The heat burned their skin and made it prickle. All the while they could hear the Lifeform's terrible, pained scream.

Cloud tried to lower his arms and peer through the light. But he could see nothing: just a wall of white with a wavering shadow trapped inside it, writhing and thrashing in agony. The light grew brighter still, and he had to shield his eyes again.

The light continued on for a few moments more, and the Lifeform's scream gradually faded away. Moments later the light too, faded to nothing, and the world returned to its normal dark state. Thunder rumbled overhead. In the heat of the battle, they had totally forgotten about the storm. The rain was still falling heavily; they were soaked.

Vincent was the first to lower his arm and approach the centre of the platform. The Ultima materia was lying on the ground. It was dark inside; its inner light had gone.

Lying beside the materia… was Hojo. Hojo… in his normal, human form. The power of Ultima had caused the Jenova cells to recede, leaving only the human body behind. The professor was lying facedown on the grating. He was not moving. Vincent stood over him, his expression unreadable.

Cloud joined him. He also looked down at the unmoving body lying before him. Hojo's eyes were wide open, locked in an endless stare.

Yet Cloud could not feel any sympathy for him. Because of this man… there had been many deaths. So many tragedies… Lucrecia and Vincent, Nibelheim, Sephiroth… all of these could have been prevented if people like Hojo did not exist. Cloud bent down and picked the materia up off the floor. It was cool.

"…" he muttered silently.

"Hojo…" said Vincent. "Rest in peace…"

Cloud looked away. He could not wish such things for this man. He turned away from Hojo and walked over to the mainframe. Cait Sith was already there; the Stop magic had apparently worn off. The cat was in the middle of deactivating the reactors. As he turned a dial the reactors all gave a loud 'whoosh' and clouds of steam rose into the air from the open roofs. The green glow faded, and the tops began to close. Midgar was safe.

Tifa bent down beside Hojo and closed his eyes.

"How said…" said Yuffie. Barret looked at her. She shrugged. "For him…" she added.

Vincent was still watching Hojo. He was filled with… mixed feelings. For years he had longed for this moment and yet… now that it was over… Vincent could not help but feel that somehow it was not quite over. He found it difficult to relax and accept that Hojo was gone. The anger was still there inside of him; it had not gone away.

Vincent felt Cloud's eyes on him. He looked up and met the swordsman's gaze. In Cloud's eyes Vincent saw the same troubled anger. Cloud held the same hatred and anger for Sephiroth that Vincent did for Hojo. Looking at him, Vincent had to wonder: would Cloud find some peace once he defeated Sephiroth. Or would he, like Vincent, continue to feel things were in some way… unfinished?

Vincent pushed those thoughts aside. It was not his business. He sheathed his gun, turned his back on Hojo, and walked away.


	41. Part Fourteen: Chapter 39

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

The hours following the death of Hojo were a blur for most of the companions, with memories of a long night they did not want to remember.

Reeve had been waiting for them when they reached the bottom of the cannon. On his request Cloud and the others split up into the city to help with the evacuation, aiding the emergency services to evacuate as many children or injured civilians as possible. Reeve, they learned, was in charge of the operation, which he had implemented as soon as Scarlet and Heidegger had been 'retired'.

And so the companions had teamed up in pairs and dispersed into the city. The raging storm impeded the effort, making it difficult for the emergency helicopters to land. Some civilians, to their surprise, helped out by aiding the young, old and injured to the helicopters.

They worked well into the night. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, the storm passed. Reeve thanked the companions for their help; they had managed to evacuate almost a fifth of the city's inhabitants in a single night. Now that the civilians knew that help was on the way they were beginning to calm down, and as such Reeve said that he could handle the rest.

The companions said their goodbyes to Reeve, wished him luck, and returned to the Highwind. The crew welcomed them back with cheers and applause, but the companions were too tired to respond. The long night had taken its toll on their bruised, tired bodies. They crawled into their beds (or in Red XIII's case, the floor on the bridge), and let welcome sleep take them.

* * *

"Shinra's… finished," said Cait.

It was now the following morning, and the companions were once again gathered on the bridge of the Highwind. They all looked tired. Their sleep had been far from peaceful. Visions of misshapen monsters had haunted their dreams. It was only when—and none of them would admit this—they dreamt of a warm hand touching their shoulder, or a glimpse of a brown-haired figure with a pink ribbon, that their dreams finally eased and they were able to sleep once again.

Cloud turned away from the window. "Meteor's going to fall in about…" He frowned, thinking. When was Meteor going to fall?

Red XIII answered his question. "Seven more days," he said. He looked at the floor and shook his head. "That's what Grandfather said."

Cloud crossed his arms and looked closely at Red XIII. His stare was so intense and thoughtful that Red XIII felt almost embarrassed and shuffled from paw to paw. His tail, sensing his anxiety, twitched along the floor.

"Red XIII…" said Cloud finally. "You want to see everyone in Cosmo Canyon again?"

The hound stopped shuffling and looked at Cloud. "…Yes," he answered, quiet.

Cloud nodded. He had thought as much. Red XIII's thoughts were never far from his grandfather, or his home in Cosmo Canyon. And he was not the only one. Cloud turned to Barret. "You want to see Marlene, right?" he asked.

Now it was Barret's turn to shift uncomfortably. "Don't ask me that," he said snippily.

The answer, of course, was obvious. Cloud then turned his attention to the whole group. "We'll beat Sephiroth…" he said, and his voice had a serious tone to it. "Then, if we don't release the power of Holy in seven days… There won't be a planet left to protect. If we can't beat Sephiroth… It's as good as death for us. We'll just go a few days sooner than the rest who'll die from Meteor."

Barret couldn't believe his ears. "Don't be thinkin' you're gonna lose before ya even fight!" he shouted, startling Yuffie, who still had a headache from the night before.

Cloud quickly turned to him and shook his head fiercely, indicating that that was not what he meant. "No!" he said sharply.

He paused and turned to face the window. Raindrops still dotted the glass from the night's heavy rain, and the murky grey sky promised more rain to come. Cloud watched as a trickle of water slid along the glass, trying to think of the right words to use to express what it was he wanted to say.

"What I meant was…" Cloud said, starting again. "What are we all fighting for? I want us all to understand that." The swordsman leaned his arm against the window. "Save the planet… for the future of the planet… Sure, that's all fine. But really, is that how it is?"

Cloud's eyes wandered down to the ground, where the dry and parched land was finally soaking up much needed water. It reminded him of another rainy day not so long ago… He turned from the window.

"For me, this is a personal feud. I want to beat Sephiroth. And settle my past. Saving the planet just happens to be part of that. I've been thinking. I think we all are fighting for ourselves. For ourselves… and that someone… something… whatever that is, that's important to us. That's what we're fighting for. That's why we keep up this battle for the planet."

Barret listened to Cloud's words with a serious face. Then he nodded slowly.

"You're right…" he admitted, though it was with much regret. "It sounds cool sayin' it's to save the planet. But I was the one who blew up that Mako Reactor…" He scratched his head sheepishly, aware of Cait's eyes on him. "Lookin' back now, I can see that wasn't the right way to do things. I made a lot of friends and innocent bystanders suffer… At first, it was revenge against Shinra. For attackin' my town. But now… Yeah. I'm fightin' for Marlene. For Marlene… For Marlene's future… Yeah… I guess I just want to save the planet for Marlene's sake…"

Cloud nodded his head. He smiled. It seemed Barret understood. It was not about saving the planet. It was about protecting what was important to them. They fought because they had something that they wanted to protect. At all costs. Saving the planet and the rest of the people one it… was just a bonus.

Around him, the others were beginning to realise this too. Each of them began to think of the things that were most important to them. Whether they were personal memories… people… or even dreams that they had for the future. In their hearts they gauged the importance of all these things, trying to decide if they were something truly worth risking their lives for.

"Go and see her," Cloud told Barret. "Make sure you're right, and come back." He then looked to everyone else. "All of you. Get off the ship and find out your reasons for yourselves. I want you to make sure. Then I want you to come back."

"Maybe ain't none of us'll come back," Cid pointed out. Everyone looked at him. "Meteor's gonna kill us all anyway. Let's just forget any useless struggling!"

It was a blunt statement. Nonetheless, it was true. What Cloud was asking had huge implications. With the Northern Barrier gone, their next opponent would be Sephiroth himself. Fighting Hojo had been difficult, but Sephiroth would be much stronger. If they didn't have the heart to fight him, Cloud was saying, then they should not go.

"I know why I'm fighting," Cloud said. "I'm fighting to save the planet, and that's that. But besides that, there's something personal too… A very personal memory that I have." Once more, he looked around at his friends. "What about you all? I want all of you to find that something within yourselves. If you don't find it, then that's okay too. You can't fight without a reason, right? So, I won't hold it against you if you don't come back."

His speech over, the Highwind turned and headed off, taking everyone home. They dropped Barret off first just outside of Midgar, after Cait finally revealed to him where Marlene was staying and eagerly waiting for him. The big man ran off, longing to see the little girl he had not seen in so long.

The next stop was Cosmo Canyon. As always they landed the airship on the outskirts of the rocky mountains and let Red XIII jump from the ship. The hound ran towards the village with great enthusiasm. His grandfather should have returned to the village by now, and Red XIII was eager to see him again.

Vincent they dropped off in Nibelheim, the only place that held any meaning for him. Here was where he had met Lucrecia for the first time, and the place where his life had been changed forever. The Shinra staff living there had packed their bags and left, leaving Nibelheim as nothing more than a ghost town built in a shadow of memory. The gunman walked through the silent streets and headed towards Shinra Mansion. He walked through its giant doors and closed them behind him.

Cid was next. The Highwind landed just outside of Rocket Town, startling more than a few of the residents who had dared to step outside and into Meteor's light. The pilot said nothing as he left the ship, nor did he look at anyone. He climbed silently down the ladder and headed towards the town. Instead of heading towards his house, however, he went to the now empty launch pad. The Shinra No. 26 was gone now, but it was still his favourite place to be. The pilot wandered among the remains, before sitting down amongst them. He lit up a cigarette, thinking hard.

The Highwind then crossed the ocean and stopped outside of Wutai, Yuffie's home. The ninja was uncharacteristically sombre as she descended from the Highwind. The enormity of what Cloud was asking of them had finally sunk in, it seemed. Yuffie, more than anyone, had little reason to fight. She had wormed her way into the group only for the opportunity to get more materia for her village, not to end up in a battle for the planet. It was a big step, and required a lot of serious thinking for the sixteen-year-old girl.

The last to leave the airship was Cait, albeit a little unconventionally. Being nothing more than a remote-controlled robot, there was no special place for Cait to go. So he said a brief farewell to Cloud before taking his place at the back of the bridge. He gave them a quick wave and then deactivated himself, slumping against the wall. Back in Midgar, Reeve wandered the streets of Midgar, lost in thought.

The Highwind returned to the lands outside Midgar, the agreed meeting place for those who decided to return. Here the airship crew left, for even their job was not without danger. That left only Cloud and Tifa. They stood together on the bridge of the Highwind, looking at each other.

"What are you going to do, Tifa?" Cloud asked her.

Tifa looked at him, her dark eyes saddened. "Did you forget?" she asked in reply. "I'm… all alone. I don't have anywhere to go."

* * *

Sometime later, when the day was drawing to a close and the sun was beginning to set in the west, the Highwind came to a rest on the outskirts of the Midgar Plains. Without their friends they found the Highwind was too lonely a place to stay, so they turned off all the power and left the airship behind. They stood together at the top of a rocky hill, watching the sunset.

Tifa walked to the edge of a rocky ledge and looked up at the sky. The rain clouds had finally cleared, and it promised to be a beautifully clear and peaceful night. It was the end of another day. Tomorrow would be the day: the day they went to the Northern Cave to challenge Sephiroth. The chosen day. This, Tifa realised, could be the last sunset she might ever see. The last night she'd get to spend with her friends, who, at that moment, were probably thinking these very same things.

"Everyone's gone…" she whispered sadly, breaking the silence.

Cloud nodded his head slowly and watched as a thin, grey cloud drifted overhead—the last remnants of the storm. "Yeah," he replied. "We don't have anywhere or anyone to go home to."

Tifa lowered her head and stared at the ground. Aside from each other, everybody they had loved and held dear were already dead. Her father, Cloud's mother, their friends… Even their hometown no longer felt like their own. The Shinra Company had deprived them even of a place to call home.

'Find your reason to fight'. That was what Cloud wanted them to do. Find something that they treasured so much that they would fight to the death for it. Yet what reason was there to fight, when so much had already been taken away?

She knew her answer, of course. It had come to her the moment Cloud had asked her. Her reason to fight… was her friends. Cloud, Barret, and the others. She wanted to keep on fighting for their sakes. To be able to see them every day, speak with them every day… just to be _with_ them. Tifa wanted to fight so that she could continue doing that, each and every day. That was her reason.

"You're right…" she said. The fighter ran a hand through her long dark brown hair, freshly washed and combed following the hectic night. "But… I'm sure someday… they'll come back, don't you think?"

She was talking about the others. Even though some of them, such as Cid, had seemed hesitant about splitting up to find their reason for fighting, Tifa knew deep inside that they would find it. She knew in her heart that they would come back.

Cloud however, did not seem as sure. "Hmm… I wonder…?" he said. "Everyone has an irreplaceable something they're holding onto… But this time… our opponent…"

Sephiroth. Tifa turned to Cloud. "Hmm… But that's all right, even if no one comes back." Cloud raised his head to look at her. Tifa smiled at him. "As long as I'm with you…" she said. "As long as you're by my side… I won't give up even if I'm scared."

"…Tifa…"

Tifa clasped her hands behind her back. "No matter how close we are… We were far apart… before this." She looked out at the horizon, where the sun was beginning to slip behind the mountains. "But when we were in the Lifestream surrounded by all those screams of anguish, I thought I heard your voice…"

A cool wind blew and ruffled her dark hair. Tifa closed her eyes, letting the rain blow across her skin and ruffle her clothes. She listened as it rustled through the patchy grass. Up here the world was so different; no one would ever guess the pain and suffering of the planet deep inside. But Tifa had never forgotten those feelings; the horrid cries of a planet in desperate pain. Tifa thought she would lose herself that day, drowning in the misery of the planet.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "…You probably don't remember this…" she said with a sniffle. "But deep in my heart I heard you calling my name… Or at least I thought you did…"

"I see…" he said, turning away. "I think I've heard about it, too."

He tried to cast his mind back to when he too was in the Lifestream. But as Tifa had said, there was much he could not remember. His memories of what happened after he fell into the Lifestream at the Northern Crater were fuzzy; most of it felt like a strange dream. Yet there was one thing he did remember clearly: the sound of a voice calling his name.

"At that time, it was Tifa's voice…" Cloud trailed off. He turned to Tifa, who still had her back to him. "You were calling me back from the stream of consciousness in the Lifestream. After all, I promised that if anything were to ever happen to you, I would come to help."

Tifa wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She looked up at the sky, where the evening stars were just becoming visible. Tifa's tears slowly stopped as she looked up at those stars. She would not tell anybody this but many nights she stayed up to watch the stars while the others were sleeping. She found the same solace looking up at the stars that Cid did, although for entirely different reasons. When Cid looked at the stars, he saw the vast expanse of space—an ocean filled with unknowns. When Tifa looked at them, it made her think more about where she was now. There were less and less stars shining lately—drowned out by Meteor's light.

"Cloud…? Do you think the stars can hear us? Do you think they can see how hard we're fighting for them?"

Cloud followed her gaze; his eyes traced a pattern through a small cluster of stars. "I dunno…" he answered her finally. "But… Whether they are or not, we still have to do what we can. And believe in ourselves… Right, Tifa? I'll find the answer someday. As long as I keep trying. That's what I learned from you when I was in the Lifestream."

Tifa tore her eyes away from the stars and looked back at the ground. "Yeah… that's right…" she said softly. Another tear rolled down her cheek.

Cloud too looked away from the stars, and turned his eyes to Tifa. "Hey Tifa… I…"

He then stopped, hesitant. In front of him, Tifa inclined her head, waiting for him to speak. It had been a long time since he and Tifa had been alone together like this. Not since the Lifestream, in fact. Events had moved so fast there had been little time to reflect on the experiences they had shared, or to say things that still needed to be said. Now that they were alone, they had that chance. Cloud scratched the back of his head, feeling suddenly awkward. He tried again.

"There's a lot of things I wanted to talk to you about," he said, trying a different approach. "But now that we're together like this, I don't know what I really wanted to say…" He sighed. "I guess nothing's changed at all… Kind of makes you want to laugh…" To prove his point, he chuckled softly.

Tifa, however, did not laugh. She turned to face Cloud, her dark eyes gleaming with tears. "Cloud… Words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're thinking…"

She paused, waiting for Cloud to continue. She looked right into his glowing blue eyes and held their gaze in earnest. She knew he was troubled by the thoughts of what may happen tomorrow, and that he was keeping those thoughts locked up tight. How she longed for him to open up to her and tell her what he was thinking and feeling, to give her a chance to relieve that worry.

But Cloud, unfortunately, just turned his gaze away from her. "… We've got a big battle tomorrow," he said instead, "we'd better get some sleep."

Tifa waited a moment, hoping that he would say something more to give away what he was feeling. But Cloud refused to look at her; he was not quite ready to show the things he was keeping secret in his heart. Accepting this, Tifa slowly nodded her head. This was another reason she chose to fight alongside him. So that when Cloud was ready, she would be there for him.

For now, at least, she had to wait. "Umm. Yes, I guess you're right…" she said.

* * *

Tifa's dreams that night were peaceful and filled with memories, as she slept beneath the stars at Cloud's side. They sat together on the rocky hill, with Tifa's head resting on Cloud's shoulder. There were no dreams of terrifying monsters promising death. All those nightmares had been pushed aside; her subconscious knowing no matter what she had Cloud by her side to protect her.

Cloud however, did not sleep. The swordsman stayed awake throughout the night, watching Meteor as it drew ever closer to the planet. Seven days… That was all the planet had left before Meteor struck. No, it was less than that now. But if they could not defeat Sephiroth today, then this would be the last day they ever saw.

His thoughts turned to his friends. How many of them would actually come back, he thought to himself. Tifa, he knew, was sure they would all come back. On the face of it the answer was obvious: of course they would come back and fight. But as Cid had pointed out yesterday: even if they did beat Sephiroth, there was always a chance that Meteor would destroy them anyway, so why struggle against a hopeless fate?

These thoughts ran through Cloud's mind all night long, until the first light of dawn rose in the east. Seeing the growing light, Cloud looked over at Tifa. The fighter was still sleeping, her hair draped over her face.

"…It's almost dawn…" he said quietly.

At his voice, Tifa stirred and opened her eyes. "H, huh…?" she muttered sleepily.

"Morning, Tifa. Sorry. Did I wake you? It's almost dawn…"

Tifa yawned and sat up. "Mmm… …Good morning, Cloud," she said. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at the approaching dawn. She frowned. Had night passed already? She… wasn't ready yet. "Give me a little longer…" she asked Cloud. She laid her head back against his shoulder, shuffling close. "Just a little longer… This day will never come again… So let me have this moment…"

She closed her eyes again. Cloud looked down at her, silent. "…" He looked up at the sky. It would still be another hour or so before the dawn had fully settled over the sky. They still had some time. "Yeah… okay," he answered. "This is probably the last time we'll have together…"

But Tifa did not hear him. She had already fallen back asleep, returning to whatever dream she had been having before he had woken her up. Cloud smiled a little as he watched her sleeping. He then sighed heavily, laid his head against hers and closed his eyes. Perhaps even he could get a little sleep before morning came.

Morning eventually came and Cloud, who had been unable to sleep after all, woke Tifa from her sleep. The young woman said little as Cloud went off to fetch water from a nearby lake, or when they ate breakfast. Her eyes kept drifting off to the land around them. Cloud knew what she was looking for: some sign that the others had returned. Cloud could have told her that she was wasting her time: he had not seen any sign of the others.

Once breakfast was finished and cleared up, Cloud and Tifa sat on the hill and waited. Before the companions parted it had been agreed that all those who decided to fight would return to the airship by one o' clock. After that the Highwind would leave and head on to the Northern Crater.

The hours passed and the sun climbed higher and higher into the sky. It reached its zenith—only one hour to go until the appointed time. Once again Tifa stood up and looked around at the landscape. There was still no sign of Barret or the others. She folded her hands over her heart. "…"

Behind her, Cloud rose to his feet. He turned to her. "We'd better go."

Tifa spun around to face him. "But, I still…!" Her mind whirled. It was not yet the agreed time! Besides, there were still so many things that she wanted to say to him. It couldn't possibly be time to leave!

Cloud shook his head, silencing any objections she might have raised. "It's all right, Tifa," he told her. "You said so yourself yesterday. At least we don't have to go on alone."

Tifa's heart was torn. She did not want to leave like this. And yet she knew… if the others had decided to come with them, they would have arrived long before now. But it was she herself who said that it did not matter if the others did not come back. As long as she was fighting by Cloud's side, then she would give her all.

"Yes…" she said. "That's right!" She smiled.

Cloud was glad to see the spark back in her eyes again. He bent down to pick his sword up from the ground and hooked it in its usual place behind his back. "Okay! Let's go!" he said, and headed back towards the airship. Tifa followed close behind.

* * *

The Highwind was just as they had left it—empty and silent. Their footsteps echoed noisily on the metal hallways. It was as though all the life in the airship had gone. In a manner of speaking it had done, since Cloud and Tifa were the only living people on the Highwind. They began to cross the metal walkway leading to the main deck.

"The airship is just too big for just the two of us," Tifa said as they crossed, their boots clattering loudly. She looked around her. Normally the sound of the engines would be almost deafening in her, but everything remained silent. "Yeah, it's a little lonely without everyone."

Cloud stopped and turned to her. "Don't worry. It'll be okay." When Tifa looked at him incredulously, the swordsman grinned and dropped down to do a few energetic squats. "I'll make a big enough ruckus for everyone. Besides, I'm the pilot," he added, finishing his squats. "No more flying around casually like before. We won't have time to feel lonely."

Tifa knew he was only trying to cheer her up, but she couldn't help but smile. She was just about to speak when the airship suddenly sprang into life. The engines roared as they came back online; lights flickered on throughout the airship. The walkway hummed and the familiar scent of working machinery filled the air. Cloud and Tifa looked around them in amazement.

"Huh!"

"It's moving…" said Cloud.

He looked at Tifa. She looked back at him. The same thought crossed their minds. They turned and raced along the walkway, leaped up the steps to the door, flung it open and burst onto the bridge. Tifa jumped and cried out in joy.

Barret was there, along with Cid. Both men had their backs to Cloud and Tifa, with Cid working to bring the airship back online.

Cloud stared in amazement. "Barret! Cid!"

Barret turned. Seeing Cloud and Tifa, he scratched his head sheepishly. "O, oh…" he said. "Is that okay with you?"

Cloud nodded his head. Of course it was all right. After all, they had come back. Even Cid, who had been the one to raise doubts about them coming back in the first place. The pilot met his gaze and inclined his head, then turned back to the controls.

A gruff bark sounded off to the right. Cloud and Tifa turned and jumped for joy as they saw Red XIII sitting at the bottom of the steps. The hound padded up the steps and sat at the top, his tail swishing. "Red XIII!" exclaimed Cloud. Red XIII smiled.

Tifa shook her head in disbelief. Barret, Cid, and Red XIII… they had come back! But when had they… She shook her head again and turned to Barret. "Why didn't you tell me!" she demanded, her eyes accusing.

Barret shuffled uncomfortably. He scratched his head, unable to meet her gaze.

Red XIII shook his head and looked over at Cid. "But, you know, Cid," he said.

"Hey, Red XIII," Cid interrupted. He left the controls and walked over to him. "If you butt in now, you never know what they'll say later…"

Tifa watched the exchange in growing confusion. What on earth were they talking about? Barret was still avoiding meeting her gaze, as was Red XIII. Cid, however, grinned at her playfully. Suddenly she understood.

"…Were you watching?" she asked, a hot blush rising to her cheeks. Cid's teasing grin grew wider. Tifa's face burned hotter, and she turned and ran to the front of the airship. She stood with her back to Cid and the others, hands folded behind her back, and her foot tapping the floor shyly. Cid laughed at her embarrassment.

Cloud sighed heavily. He heard the door open behind him and turned to see Vincent walk onto the bridge, cool as always. Cloud stared in amazement.

"Vincent!"

Vincent stopped and looked at Cloud. "Why such a puzzled look?" he asked. "You don't want me to come?"

Cloud shook his head. "No," he replied hurriedly, "it's just that you're always so cold. I thought you didn't care what was happening."

"Cool?" Vincent mulled this over. "Hmm… I guess that's just how I am, sorry."

With that Vincent turned and jumped over the rails to the lower level, taking up his usual position. It had not been a hard decision to make. Though Hojo was gone, Vincent still had one more job to do. Lucrecia's dreams of Sephiroth… he would help to put an end to them.

The sound of static filled the room. Everyone turned to the back of the room, where Cait Sith had just come back online. "Well, lookey-here," said Barret, as Cait repositioned himself on the Mog's head. "The Shinra Manager's come back."

Ignoring Barret, Cait tapped the Mog on the head. The Mog too came back online and lifted its large body off the floor. It made a show of stretching itself, like it had just woken up from a long sleep, before turning and plodding over to rejoin Cloud and the others. Cait lowered his head and his ears drooped low.

"Um, excuse me, but…" he began, a little hesitantly. "I wanted to come with the main group, but I couldn't get away… So some people in Midgar took me in." The cat raised his head and looked at them in earnest. "I know I have a stuffed animal body, but I'll work really hard!"

He looked at Cloud, his furry face hopeful. Cloud, in response, nodded his head. Midgar was in a terrible state, and with all the panic and the evacuation operations it would have been very difficult for Reeve to leave. But his robotic avatar was here in his place, and that was all that mattered.

Barret looked around, counting. "I guess that's everyone," he said, folding his arms.

Red XIII shook his head. "No, Yuffie's missing."

Barret snorted. "She ain't gonna show up," he said, scowling. "Least this time she didn't steal our materia. Guess we gotta be thankful for that."

"How could you say that!"

The voice came from above. Barret looked up and then jumped back in surprise as Yuffie jumped down through a hatch in the roof, which she had picked open to make a grand entrance. She landed in the centre and spun round to face him, her face angry. The ninja put her hands on her hips and glared at Barret indignantly.

"I came all the way here after being seasick as a dog!" she said, huffing. "I didn't go through all that just to have you guys have all the best parts all to yourselves!" Her eyes looked like they could shoot daggers. Barret scratched his head, sheepish. Yuffie turned her gaze round to everyone, daring them to oppose her being there.

Cloud stepped forward. "Welcome back, Yuffie," he said.

Yuffie turned to face him. Her anger quickly dissipated, and her face took on a bashful expression. "Gee, Cloud…" she said, touched. "That's so nice of you to say that… You sick?" She laughed as Cloud scowled. "Well, whatever," the ninja continued, turning away from him. "I'm gonna be in my reserved spot in the hall… waiting…" Her face then paled as the engines gave an especially loud hum and caused the ground to vibrate beneath her. "Upp! …Urk!" She pushed past Cloud, her hands over her mouth, making a break for the hallway.

Everyone watched her go. Cloud looked around at his friends. He had had his doubts, but inwardly he was pleased that every single one of them had decided to fight. After everything they had been through together, it only made sense that they should face the end together, as well.

"Thanks, everyone," he said.

Barret's eyes narrowed. "We didn't come back for your spiky headed ass!" he said, perhaps a little too hurriedly. He did not want Cloud to get the wrong idea. "We came back for Marlene. Guess it's jes' my… whatcha call, feelings or somethin'." Everybody's eyes were on him at this point, and he hesitated, feeling suddenly awkward. He turned away. "I, uh, I ain't got no words now…"

But words were no longer necessary. Everybody knew now why they were fighting. There were no more misguided feelings, no misconceptions. They each had found that special something they were fighting to save, whether it was a person, a place, or a memory. They had each found it, and would now give their life to protect it.

Red XIII sat back on his haunches. "…Although she's not here," he said, "she left us a window of opportunity…" He lowered his head in memory.

"We can't let it go like this," said Cid.

Cloud closed his eyes. In his mind's eye he could see her smiling face, and her eyes that were filled with laughter. "…Aeris," he said. "She was smiling to the end. We have to do something, or that smile will freeze like that. Let's all go together. Memories of Aeris… Although she should've returned to the planet by now, something stopped her and now she's stuck…" Cloud opened his eyes and looked round at his friends. "We have to let go of Aeris's memory."

"Has anyone here changed their mind?" Cid asked, looking round. One by one the others shook their heads. No, they had not changed their minds.

Cloud turned to him. "I'm counting on you, Cid."

"Yeah, yeah…" The pilot shrugged his shoulders and wandered back over to the wheel. "There are two levers that've been buggin' me for a while now…" he said. He gestured to the two levers, positioned beside the wheel. "Let me try them out."

Cid took hold of the two levers. The pilot then paused and turned to Cloud. "All right, so what should I do? You decide, Cloud."

Now everyone's eyes turned to Cloud, awaiting his decision. Their faces were eager and ready. Each and every one of them was ready to go. Whether their journey led them to victory or death, they would give it their all. This was finally it.

"This is our last battle," Cloud told them. "Our target is the North Cave. Our enemy is… Sephiroth! So let's move out!"

On Cloud's command Cid pushed the two levers all the way to the top. Almost instantaneously the Highwind gave a sudden, strong jolt, throwing everyone forward.

Outside, the Highwind began to change. Hatches opened up along the back and sides of the airship. Powerful mako-powered jet engines emerged from inside. They hummed and then roared into life. The strong cables along the back of the airship disengaged and fell away. The Highwind's propellers, now obsolete, fell away along with them, tumbling down towards the ground.

Once the airship's transformation was complete, Cid released the brakes. All at once the airship ploughed forward, moving at such great speed that it knocked nearly everybody onboard off their feet.

It took a few minutes for the companions to properly adjust to the Highwind's increased speed. In Cid's hands the wheel rattled vigorously as the airship shook around them, but they were not worried. The Highwind was a powerful airship; it would take more than a bit of shaking to break it apart.

They made excellent progress. It took them no more than a few minutes to reach the shore, and they set out across the ocean. Not long after that, the southernmost shores of the northern continent came into view, along with the rugged peaks that covered the land. Cloud and his friends watched from the bridge as the land rushed in at them and then underneath them, as the Highwind soared over the mountains toward the Northern Crater.

"We're almost at the North Cave," said Cloud. Up ahead of them, in the distance, he could just about see the Northern Crater rising above the jagged mountain peaks. The swordsman clenched his fist. "We're on our way, Sephiroth!"

The airship had grown steadier the further they went, presumably adjusting to the shift from casual flight to jet-flight. Cid locked the wheel into place, keeping the airship on course, and turned to Cloud. "Man, I'm going to stick it to him!" he said eagerly. The pilot had a brand new spear that Shera had purchased for him, to replace his broken one. He was eager to use it.

Suddenly and without warning, the airship shuddered violently. A siren began to ring and the red alarm lights flashed in warning. Cid cursed and rushed back to the wheel, which was shaking violently. The pilot released the auto-lock and the wheel lurched to the side, but Cid grabbed it and pulled it back into place with all his might. The Highwind steadied itself, but continued to shake violently.

"What is it, Cid?" asked Cloud. The others gathered around him. If this was merely turbulence, it was the most intense turbulence they had ever felt before!

Cid was unable to reply. He was far too busy fighting to keep the airship in the air.

"Errrrggh!" he grunted. Another wave hit them and the Highwind gave another lurch upwards. "Some incredible force!" he managed to shout over the whir of the siren. "Losing… control…!" It must be some remnants of the Northern Barrier, the pilot thought. He gritted his teeth and struggled against the force.

At that moment the door to the bridge opened and the Highwind's crew burst in. The young men gathered around Cid and helped to hold onto the wheel, keeping it in from breaking free.

Cid, however, did not seem pleased to see them. "Get the hell outta here, flunkies!" he raged at them. "Didn't I tell you all to go home!"

The crewmembers were not deterred, nor did they move. "Yes, sir!" said one of the workers. "This is our home!"

Cid cursed. "Oh ma—"

He stopped as the Highwind gave yet another violent shudder, breaking through another leftover wave of energy from the Northern Barrier. The wheel was almost wrenched from his hands, but the extra support given to him by the Highwind's crew kept it in place. The pilot looked to his left and then to his right, at the eager faces of his voluntary crew. He sighed heavily.

"…Stop trying to act so cool," he said. He then turned back to the wheel. "All right, you jokers! Hold me down with everything you got! Geronimo!"

With that, Cid pushed the engines to the max. The Highwind burst forward suddenly, shaking free of the unseen force that had taken hold of it and fighting its way through. Cid roared angrily, unrelenting. Everyone could feel the tension in the air as the Highwind pushed forward and then broke free with a loud _SNAP!_ The Highwind surged forward again and hurtled over the mountains.

The Northern Cave, the final destination in this story, was just ahead.

* * *

**[End of Part Fourteen]**

**[Next: Final Part: The One-Winged Angel]**


	42. Part Fifteen: Chapter 40

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Part Fifteen: The One-Winged Angel**

**Chapter Forty**

The Highwind came to a stop at the summit of the Northern Crater. The outside of the crater was so rugged and steep it was impossible for the airship to land, and with no other landing spots nearby it instead just hovered over the peak.

One of the Highwind's crew threw a rope ladder over the side of the airship and lowered it until it reached the ground. He then handed Cloud and his companions their equipment and then stepped back, saluting them. The companions nodded their heads in acquiescence and then climbed down the ladder. They gathered around the edge of the crater, peering down.

The inside of the crater was just as harsh a terrain as it was outside, as years of weathering had worn away the rock. As they peered inside they were surprised to see that there was a path winding along the inside of the crater, heading deep into the crater. It blended perfectly into the natural formation of the rock so it appeared to be naturally made, but they knew that this was impossible. Perhaps it was Sephiroth's doing, they thought, daring them to come down and challenge him.

Cloud knelt at the edge of the crater. He looked all the way down to the very bottom. He had expected a black, shadowy pit with no end, and so he was surprised to find that he_ could_ see the bottom. A large, glowing pool of mako filled the bottom of the Northern Crater, its light so pure and so bright that it lit up the inside of the crater like a giant, glowing torch.

But there was something else at the bottom of the crater, something that could not be seen with the naked eye. Cloud could feel it in his soul. Sephiroth was also down there, waiting for them. He could feel Sephiroth's presence down there, like an infection invading the planet. And he could also tell, from deep inside, that Sephiroth was aware of them. He knew that they were coming. Cloud scowled and rose to his feet. He turned to his friends.

"Looks like we can only slide down," he said to them. His friends nodded.

Cloud descended first. He climbed over the edge of the crater and began to make his way carefully down the hole. The crater wall was rough and rugged, and there were plenty of hand and footholds to grab onto. The others made their way down after him, making their way down slowly.

As he climbed down, Cloud wondered just what had crashed into the planet to cause this kind of damage. Was it another disaster, like Meteor? Perhaps someone, long ago, had used the Black Materia to call Meteor, and the collision had caused the damage. Or perhaps it was Jenova, the calamity from the skies. Did this crater form when she descended upon the planet? Who knew?

The companions made their way steadily down the wall, heading for the path below. Then there came the sound of falling rock as Red XIII lost his footing. The hound slid down the rock face, scrabbling for a foothold. He clawed the wall but could not get a grip, and tumbled all the way down until he hit the path below. Everyone held their breath. The hound lay still for a moment, and then rose to his feet. Everybody sighed; he was okay.

Red XIII, still stunned from his fall, sat and waited for the others to finish climbing down. When he neared the end, Cait let his Mog slip down and jumped off at the end. The others did the same, gathering at the top of the path. They must have descended only thirty feet, but already the top of the crater seemed so far away.

They looked down to the bottom of the crater. The path wound around the inside about three times before it came to an end. There was a hole in the rock close to where the path ended, and this was where they headed.

As they walked down they heard a screeching roar from somewhere below them. They looked down and caught a glimpse of fluttering wings amongst the moving shadows surrounding the mako pool. An Allemagne, a winged monster with a round body and one very large eye, flew up towards them. Its red eye turned to them. It screeched and then swooped towards them.

Vincent swiftly drew his gun and fired a single shot. The bullet pierced the Allemagne's large eyeball, and came straight out the other side. The monster gave a single pained shriek before it stiffened and fell down towards the mako pool. It splashed into the Lifestream and sank beneath its surface.

Vincent sheathed his gun. He shared a quick glance with Cloud. The two had the same thought: it would only get worse from here on out.

The companions continued down the winding path, going deeper and deeper into the Northern Crater. Occasionally they looked up at the Highwind, still hovering overhead, and wondered if this would be the last time they laid eyes on the airship.

They reached the end of the path and walked through the opening in the crater wall. The air was warmer in here and heavy with the scent of mako. It was also very dark inside; they could barely see anything in front of them. Cid lit up one of the flares they had brought with them and used it to guide their way.

It was a good thing he did, for without it they would quickly have plummeted to their deaths. There were more paths inside the crater wall, but they were so old and worn down that many of them had crumbled away, leaving sizable gaps. Some paths crumbled as they stood on them, forcing them back. In many instances the companions were forced to jump over the smaller gaps in order to progress.

One thing that was plentiful inside the North Cave was monsters. There were more Allemagne, Gargoyles and Master Tonberrys, and many more that had never been seen before. Somewhere below them they heard the heavy, thudding footsteps of an Armoured Golem as it wandered the vast caverns. Most of the monsters, thankfully, paid them no mind, and so they hurried on, following the light of Cid's flare.

The crumbling paths came to an end. The companions slid carefully down a set of slender, rocky pillars and gathered on the next path, which branched off in two directions. The left-hand path went further ahead, while the right-hand one went down in a steep slope. Cid shone the light of the flare down each of the two paths. There was not much to see and it was impossible to tell which way they should go.

"The road splits into two," said Cloud. "We'll split into two groups."

Around him, the others nodded. While they were reluctant to split up at this point, it was more practical if they wanted to cover more ground quickly. Cloud relayed the plans: they would split into two teams, one team taking each path. If one team found something or they reached a dead end, they would contact the other with the PHS. In that case, the companions would regroup and then decide what to do next.

"Which way are you gonna choose, Cloud?" asked Cid.

Cloud folded his arms, thinking how he should best split the teams. Before he could choose anyone, Tifa stepped forward to stand beside him. That was one person down. Cloud also chose Red XIII and Vincent to go along with him down the left-hand path, while Barret, Cid, Cait and Yuffie would make their way down the sloping right-hand one. The two groups stood apart, looking silently at one another.

"Now," Cloud said, giving Barret and his group a stern look, "don't any of you die on me. …Gotta get through to Sephiroth!"

Barret's group nodded. At this stage in their journey, death was unthinkable. Though they were not invincible, it was hard to believe that there was much left that could stop them from reaching Sephiroth.

Cid raised his spear and hefted it onto his shoulder. Its metal tip glinted bright red in the light of his flare. "I'll destroy that Sephiroth before anyone gets to him," he said. Then, with his flare over his head, he began to march solidly down the sloping path.

"It's all over now," said Vincent. "With this…" He turned away, his frayed red cape fluttering behind him, and walked down the left-hand path.

Yuffie watched as Cid and Vincent headed down each of the two paths. The ninja then sagged and sighed heavily, lowering her head. "Oh man… 'Materia Hunter Yuffie' sounds like the last chapter of 'Materia Forever'." She shook her head, sighing again. Then she pushed herself upright, shook away her doubts, and ran after Cid.

Cait Sith sat silently on the Mog's head. The Mog walked forward, past Cloud, and stopped at the entrance to the sloping pathway. The cat turned and faced Cloud, and then looked down. He scratched his head, and then looked at Cloud again.

"I'm so happy to have met you all," he said suddenly, "really!" Without another word he turned away, rubbed at his eyes (though how they could fill up was anybody's guess!) and then left, the Mog hopping down the path.

"Well…" said Barret, walking over to Cloud. "Looks like this is our last big job!" He paused, looking at Cloud and Tifa. They knew what he meant. The last big job of AVALANCHE: the resistors of Shinra and defenders of the planet.

Tifa closed her eyes and folded her hands over her chest. She hoped that somewhere Biggs, Wedge and Jessie were watching, and were proud of what they were doing.

Barret then left, following Cid, Yuffie and Cait down the sloping path. As he left Red XIII padded forward. "All life on the planet," he said as he walked past Cloud and Tifa, "indeed the very life of the planet, is in our hands…"

The hound then fell silent. Cloud watched him as he followed Vincent down the path. Since returning from Cosmo Canyon, Red XIII had been different. It was only during the flight from Midgar to the North Cave that Cloud found out why. Upon the hound's return to his hometown he had found Bugenhagen at death's door, weakened from his long journey home. The old man died that same night. But his grandfather's death helped Red XIII to make up his mind. He left Cosmo Canyon that next morning determined to fulfil his grandfather's wishes and protect the planet.

Red XIII took a few steps down the path. He then stopped, his tail low, and looked up at the ceiling.

Father… Grandfather… the hound said silently to himself. Are you watching?

Of course, he got no reply. Red XIII lowered his head and squeezed his eyes tight. His grandfather was at peace now, returning to the planet he had loved dearly. There was no time for sadness. Red XIII opened his eyes again and ran after Vincent.

Now only Tifa and Cloud remained at the junction. Tifa turned to Cloud. "After this, we can go home," she said to him. "All of us…"

Cloud nodded. Yes, after this day, everything would be done with. They had only to get through this one day. He clenched his fist tight. "This will be the end of it!" he replied. Tifa smiled and nodded back, and ran off down the path after her friends.

Cloud stayed just a moment longer, watching as his friends split off down their separate paths. This _would_ be the end of it. He'd make sure of it.

* * *

Barret and his group headed further down the crater, following the light of the flare. Yuffie, bored by the slow pace and lack of action, ran on ahead to see if there were any hidden traps waiting to be sprung. To her disappointment, there was nothing.

The ninja stopped and placed her hands on her hips. She would have thought that here, of all places, there would be some exciting traps, or rare and powerful materia waiting to be picked up. Perhaps, she thought to herself, she would even find the Black Materia. If she had that, then Wutai would surely be restored to its former glory, and woe betide anyone who tried to invade after that! She also wondered if Cloud would agree to give her all the materia they had collected…

A scurrying sound caught her ear, and the ninja froze, listening. At first she heard nothing and wondered if it had been her mind playing tricks on her. Then the sound came again, this time a little closer.

Yuffie slowly reached behind her an unhooked her Crystal Cross. She inched forward, peering into the shadows where the flare's light did not reach. She caught a flash of movement. Yuffie turned her head and gave a low whistle. Barret and the others heard her warning and stopped, standing perfectly still.

Yuffie inched her way forward. She tread carefully, not wanting to alarm whatever it was that was lurking ahead of them. The shuffling sound came again, and again it was closer than before. The ninja saw something scuttling amongst the shadows. She raised her shuriken, waited… and then threw it.

The Crystal Cross clanged loudly as it landed in the rock. Something reared up and gave a high-pitched, panicked shriek, and then scurried away at high speed. Yuffie ran forward to see if she could spot it, but it had already disappeared.

"What in hell's name was that?" asked Cid. He and the others walked forward to join Yuffie, and the light of the flare lit up the path. There was no sign of the creature. Yuffie bent down and pulled her shuriken out of the rock.

"I don't wanna know," Barret replied gruffly. "This whole place gives me the creeps."

"Who knows what else could be lurking down here," said Cait. He hopped forward on his Mog and peered around. He turned back to Cid and the others. "Let's just get moving," he said. "I'm sure this place must lead us somewhere."

"Somewhere to nowhere, or into trouble at the very least," Cid muttered under his breath. He glanced at the flare. It was already almost halfway down. He thought of Cloud and his team, wondering if they had found anything. Then, turning his thoughts to the task at hand, he hurried after the others.

* * *

At that moment Cloud and his group were still making their way through the vast catacomb of tunnels that wound through the Northern Cave. The path that had seemed easy at first suddenly turned treacherous, as it made a drastic curve downwards. The change was so sudden that nobody noticed it until they walked right into it and went sliding down the slope.

Vincent tried to grab onto Cloud and Tifa, but they were just out of his reach. Red XIII dug his claws into the rock, trying to slow himself down, but he was moving so fast that he was unable to get a grip. They slid along, helpless, until they finally reached the bottom.

The path stopped at the peak of an immensely tall, jagged pillar of rock. The platform they now stood on connected to a path that wound like a spiral around the outside of the pillar. The pillar became thinner in the middle before widening at the end, like a stretched-out hourglass.

Brushing themselves off, Cloud and his friends descended down the path. Here and there the walls of the cavern glowed brightly in shades of blue, green and red—infused with the Lifestream. Mako flowed in abundance down here. If Shinra had known just how much mako there was in the North Cave, they would surely have built a reactor here. Thankfully the hazardous terrain made that impossible, and so the Lifestream flowed freely, unhindered by humankind.

The companions stayed close to the wall as they followed the path, fearing that they would once again lose their balance. At the pillar's thinnest point the path stopped, and they had to slide carefully down the central point to where the pillar widened out and the path restarted. They moved quickly but carefully, and when they reached the bottom they hurried on.

They were mostly undisturbed by the North Cave's natural inhabitants. Now and then they saw them, lurking in shadowy crevices and holes, watching them closely. Movers hopped past without a care, uninterested. One Magic Pot—a wretched-looking purple goblin hiding in an enchanted pot—shied fearfully away from, terrified by the glowing light of the flare.

Small monsters were not the only things that made their home down here. As they passed a gap in the cavern wall, Vincent stopped to peer through into the adjoining cavern. A massive Dark Dragon—with wings the same size as the Highwind—had made its lair amongst the underground tunnels. The dragon was currently sleeping, digesting a full meal—there were many Gighee corpses scattered throughout its lair. For now, the beast was sleeping, and so the companions hurried (quietly) onward.

The path then took a turn and sloped upwards, and they came to a rocky ledge. Around them the rocks glowed with a burning orange light, making them seem almost ablaze. What was more amazing, though, were the bony remains of a giant serpent just ahead. The remains rested against the ledge and then wound their way down another tall pillar of rock, the serpent's final resting place. With no other way down, the companions ran across the skeleton's ribbed spine until they reached the bottom, and then started to hurry on.

"Well, hello…"

The companions froze, startled. The voice that spoke was deep and alluring; it tried to lure them in. Their hands went to their weapons as they looked around, searching for the source. The voice laughed, and it echoed throughout the cavern.

"Up here."

They looked up. Sitting on one of the curved bones of the serpent skeleton's ribcage was a woman. She had long legs and tanned skin, a rounded face and a head of long, thick raven hair that spilled over her shoulders and down her arms. Her shoulders, arms and legs were bare; all she wore was a lime green swimsuit. She was also barefoot, and her feet tapped playfully against the bones.

On first glance, the woman looked human. But one look into her eyes proved otherwise. Her pupils were deep red, and the whites were jet-black. She was not a human. She was a monster. Unlike most monsters she was an intelligent one, able to understand and speak the human language.

"Well, well," the woman said, her eyes watching them closely. "We don't get many visitors down here." She drew her knee up to her chest and draped her arms around it, her fingers curling. "I am Pollensalta. Why don't you… stay and play for a while?"

Even as she spoke, Cloud could feel her spell tugging at him. Her words were enticing, her tone deep and hypnotic. He knew what she was doing. She was trying to lure them in, compel them to go to her. He fought against the spell, trying to block her voice from his mind.

A gunshot rent the air, shattering the spell. Cloud felt her words slip from his mind, releasing him. He looked up. Pollensalta had stopped speaking. A lock of her hair, cut by the bullet, fluttered down onto the ground. Pollensalta, however, did not flinch.

Vincent lowered his gun, a trail of smoke rising from the barrel. "We know your kind," the gunman said gruffly. "Your tricks won't work on us."

Behind him, Tifa sighed heavily. Only Vincent could be so indifferent that he could not be drawn in by this monster's spell of fascination. It was lucky for them that he had fired when he did, otherwise they would have been caught.

Pollensalta looked at Vincent intently, taking him in. Her dark eyes narrowed. She inhaled deeply and then let it out in a long, hissing breath. Her lips, thin and raven-coloured like her hair, parted in a cold, cruel smile.

"My, my, aren't you the clever one?" she said. Her voice had dropped its alluring tone. "So my Fascination won't work on you? Fine. Let's see you handle this!"

She snapped her fingers. A wall of flames suddenly rose up in front of them, separating them from Pollensalta. The companions stepped back, and then stopped as another wall rose up behind them, cutting off their escape.

Over the roar of the flames, Pollensalta laughed gleefully. From her perch she could see the four companions easily and was greatly amused as they looked about, trying to decide what to do. She snapped her fingers once more and two more walls of fire rose up at the sides, sealing them in a cage of deadly fire.

Cloud looked around him. The flames surrounded them on all sides and showed no signs of stopping. He heard Pollensalta laughing. She knew that she had them trapped. The heat of the flames made him sweat, and he felt the air around him grow thinner as it was burned up by the flames. He began to pant heavily. Next to him, his companions were also beginning to struggle. He turned back to the flames and drew his sword. They had to break free of this cage before the air was used up.

"Vincent," he said breathlessly, turning to the gunman. "Your Ice materia…" He then stopped, unable to say anymore. The air was vanishing fast.

Vincent did not respond. He knew what Cloud was getting at. The gunman raised his gun and pointed it at the flames. His Ice materia flashed as he fired five rounds of ice bullets into the flames. They exploded as they came into contact with the flames, creating a gash in Pollensalta's cage. Hurriedly, they ran out. Welcome air washed over them, and they breathed it deeply.

Pollensalta stopped laughing as she saw the companions escape from her prison. She scowled and snapped her fingers, causing the fire cage to dissipate.

Once they had recovered enough to move, the companions ran forward. Pollensalta clicked her fingers, and bursts of fire erupted from the ground beneath them. The companions kept moving; they could not afford to be trapped in her cage again. Red XIII leaped over one blast of fire and landed on the skeleton's spine. He began to make his way back up along it, trying to get close to the monster.

Vincent meanwhile, fired his gun. The monster saw the bullets coming and easily ducked to the side, grinning as the bullets slid past her face. Her dark eyes glinted in excitement as she snapped her fingers once more. Vincent was forced to duck and roll to the side as another explosion erupted behind him.

Pollensalta then turned her attention to Red XIII, who was nearing the top. She laughed and clicked her fingers. An explosion ripped through the spinal ridges just in front of the hound, causing them to blow apart. Red XIII yelped as the ridge he had landed on suddenly fell away beneath him, and he went tumbling back down towards the ground, disappearing in the smoke.

Pollensalta then turned back, her fingers raised to create another explosion. The monster then froze as she saw Tifa soaring up towards her, thrown up by Cloud. The monster's hesitation gave Tifa the chance she needed as she struck out with one tightly clenched fist. She caught the monster on her jaw, knocking her head so far back it almost snapped. Despite the flames the monster created, Tifa noticed that her tanned skin was icy cold.

The monster shrieked as she fell back against the rib bone. She scurried back in alarm, frightened by the speed in which her carefully laid out trap had turned on her. Tifa ducked down and swung her leg, trying to swipe the monster off the bone. Pollensalta must have recovered her confidence, for she placed her palms flat against the bone behind her head and flipped back, avoiding Tifa's leg. Tifa, angered, stood and charged at her, bringing her fist up for another painful blow.

Pollensalta exhaled deeply, releasing a cloud of icy breath. Her breath touched Tifa's right arm as she brought it up, and Tifa cried out in pain and shock as her arm became so painfully cold it was almost unbearable. Still she did not stop and kept her fist moving forward, much to Pollensalta's alarm.

Her fist smashed into the monster's gut, causing her to choke in pain. As she keeled over, Tifa grabbed her by the shoulders and swung her around, before throwing her down to the ground below. The monster landed with a heavy crash, shattering a pile of bones.

Pollensalta opened her eyes. Cloud was standing over her, his sword raised over his head to finish her off. The monster's eyes widened in panic and she rolled to the side. The monster ran to the nearby wall and jumped up from ledge to ledge. She stopped at the top and glared back down at them, her eyes flashing angry.

"You'll pay for this!" she said with a hiss, and then disappeared through a crack in the wall.

Tifa jumped down from the skeleton and walked to stand beside Cloud. "Well, that was bizarre," she commented. "Why'd she suddenly give up like that?"

Vincent sheathed his gun and walked past her. He stopped by Red XIII, who was still brushing himself off from his fall. "Monsters of her kind are weak," the gunman said in answer to Tifa. "They like their prey to be intimidated and to give up easily. They don't like it when the prey fights back."

"Either way, we're wasting time," said Cloud.

He looked up at the now broken spine of the serpent. There was no way they could get back up there now. They would have to keep going and hope that their path led them to Sephiroth. Cloud looked at his friends. They nodded.

"Let's go," said Cloud, and they hurried on.


	43. Part Fifteen: Chapter 41

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Forty-One**

At the end of the path they discovered another doorway. They went through it, and when they came out the other side they found themselves back along the inner wall of the North Crater. The mako pool glowed brightly some way below them. Its glow lit up the cavern walls, meaning they no longer needed a flare to light their way.

The winding path continued here, circling the crater. It came to an end after the first loop, and to their amazement they saw that numerous rocky platforms, suspended in midair, carried on where the path left off. What mysterious power held these platforms in the air they did not know, but they did not question it. The platforms circled the crater wall and descended down towards the bottom of the crater.

Cloud walked to the edge of the path and looked down. Showers of mako streamed down the crater walls towards the pool; its cool heat washed over his face. Shielding his eyes with his hands he peered down, where he could just see a large platform suspended over the mako pool: their destination. He could not see Sephiroth.

"Yo, we're a bit late?"

The swordsman looked up. Barret and his group were on the walkway overhead, after emerging from a second doorway in the rock. Cloud noted that they scuffle and dirt marks on their arms and faces. It seemed that they too, had run into trouble.

Barret's group made their way down and rejoined the group. The eight companions stood together on the path, looking down into the glowing light of the mako pool. Cloud peered down to the final platform, just visible through the intense light.

"This is the centre of the Planet…?" he asked aloud. Nobody answered him. Cloud stood and jumped off the path to the walkway below and walked to the edge, where the first of the floating platforms hovered. The swordsman turned to his friends. "Let's get going," he said. "All right, everyone, let's mosey!"

"Damn!" Cid cursed and waved his arms angrily. Everyone turned to him in surprise. The pilot ignored them and glared at Cloud. "Again! Stop sayin' it like a wimp! Can't you say 'Move out!' or somethin'?" He crossed his arms huffily and tapped his foot.

Cloud scratched the back of his head. Beside him, Tifa put her hands over her mouth and giggled to herself. Eventually, Cloud sighed. "Move out!" he said, with as much might as he could muster, just to please Cid.

The pilot grinned, satisfied. The companions then moved forward. They were just about to jump down onto the first floating platform when a loud roar suddenly shook the cavern. They froze and looked up above them.

"What!" exclaimed Barret, his eyes widening.

The crater walls above them were crawling with monsters, dozens and dozens of them. They poured out in great numbers of the holes dotted along the wall, all of them heading in the same direction: down towards them. Parasites scrabbled down the walls with ease, climbing down the walls and over the other monsters. When she saw them Yuffie cringed, remembering the nest they had disturbed during their brief encounter with them in the caverns. Gighee stood on the edge of the pathways, rearing up and screeching loudly. Christophers, winged beasts, circled the air above them like vultures, waiting for the carnage to begin.

One of the walls crumbled and an Armoured Golem broke through, its large feet causing the paths to shake and quiver. Through another dark doorway the head of the Dark Dragon, now awakened from its slumber, slid out. Its eyes moved around until it saw the companions gathered below, and it roared. The sound of its roar startled the monsters, causing them to move away quickly. Even Pollensalta was there, perched on a ledge, glaring down at them with a wide smile on her face.

The companions stared in wide-eyed horror as the monsters began to swarm down the sides of the crater. Their intent was obvious: stop the companions before they could reach Sephiroth. The companions quickly gathered together, their hands on their weapons, ready to fight.

"Look at the number…" Red XIII breathed in disbelief. Never before had he seen so many monsters together in a single place. This was likely Sephiroth's doing.

"%#^!" exclaimed Cid. "They're comin' out in full force!" He spat in disgust.

Another wall, closer to them, crumbled and a second Armoured Golem stomped out. Parasites poured out of the hole like cockroaches, swarming the walls. They could hear their insect-like screeching, and could see their antennae twitching.

Barret raised his gun-arm and fired a single round at the rock just below the swarm. The Parasites scattered but quickly regrouped and continued heading towards them. "Cloud!" shouted Barret over his shoulder. "You go first!" He fired again.

Cloud shook his head. "I'm fighting here too."

"Shu'up!" the former resistance leader snapped. He fired another few rounds and the Parasites scattered again. "It won't do us no good wit' everyone back here!" Beside him, Vincent fired a warning shot at a King Behemoth. The monster took no heed and jumped down onto the next path.

"Barret's right," said Cid. Cloud turned to the pilot in surprise. Cid took his cigarette out of his mouth and hooked it behind his ear. He then turned to Cloud, giving him a stern, level stare. "You take two of us with you and go first," he told Cloud. "The rest'll catch up with ya later."

Tifa raised her fists. "Is this like a practice run before the real thing?" she asked.

Cait shook his head miserably. "Yeah, a major practice run…"

"Heh heh, I'm fine with that," said Yuffie. She drew both of her shuriken and added under her breath: "It's probably more fun than fighting Sephiroth down there."

"Hmm, this might be fun to pass the time," said Vincent, reloading his gun.

Red XIII crouched down low and bared his fangs. "They're coming!" he growled. "They're already on the floor next to us!"

"Cloud! Hurry up and make up your mind!"

Cloud looked around at his friends, torn. He knew they were right. If they wasted time up here, all they would do was exhaust themselves and then they would never reach Sephiroth. They had no other choice but to split up again: one group to stay behind and fend off the approaching monsters, and the other to go down and face Sephiroth. But who should stay behind and who should go? Of all the choices Cloud had ever made, this was the most difficult of them all.

Eventually, he made up his mind. "Tifa! Red XIII!" he called.

At his command, Tifa and Red XIII pulled back away from the group to join him. Tifa, he knew, would want to go all the way and face Sephiroth. Red XIII, however, would have great difficulty fighting here, on the narrow platforms. The hound would be of much better use down below, where there was room for him to move. He wanted to take Vincent as well, with his expert aim, but his skills would be more essential here. When Tifa and Red XIII pulled back, the others closed ranks on the walkway.

Cloud looked around at the friends who would be staying behind. "All of you!" he said. "Later!" He would not say goodbye—not here.

Barret did not turn. "Yeah, later," he replied. He, too, would not say goodbye. The man then raised his gun-arm and opened fire on the approaching monsters. In the first few rounds alone he took out several swarming Parasites, whose bodies came crashing down onto the rocks.

Yuffie gave an angry cry and stormed up the winding path, twirling her shuriken in her hands. She threw one and it went zipping up the crater walls, slicing through anything that got in its path. The others, too, began their assault.

While the monsters' attention was fixed on their friends, Cloud, Tifa and Red XIII turned and jumped down off the ledge onto the first floating platform. Without waiting or looking behind them, they leaped onto the next one. They moved quickly, heading from one platform to the next, heading further down the crater.

As they landed on the sixth platform they passed through an unseen barrier, and the atmosphere around them changed. The air became closed and thick, drowning out the sounds of the battle going on above them. Everything around them seemed to slow down, even their own movements, making it seem as though they were moving in slow motion.

Cloud stopped on the eighth platform and looked down at his hands. The air around them was shifting, pulsing with unseen energy. He could breathe easily through the closed air, but it left him feeling sick and light-headed. The swordsman turned to Tifa and Red XIII. They, too, had noticed this change in the air. Red XIII padded softly across the ground, testing his movements, while Tifa touched her throat anxiously. Cloud tried to speak to them, but the dense air dulled his words. Instead he gestured for them to carry on. The two nodded and followed him as he jumped down onto the next platform.

They hurried on, moving as quickly as they could through the dense atmosphere. They followed the platforms as they circled the mako pool, until at last they came to the very last one. The platform was large but covered only a tiny portion of the pool's surface, hovering above twenty metres above the pool. As they landed the strange force that held them during their descent disappeared and everything returned to normal, changing so suddenly that they lost their balance and fell forward onto the platform. They quickly climbed onto their feet and looked around.

The platform was made up of a number of square pillars that rose in uneven levels. It was quiet this far down the crater; they could hear nothing except for the movements of the Lifestream below. Clouds of steam rose from below, shrouding the platform in an unnatural glow. Cloud walked forward, his footsteps echoing loudly.

"Where are we…?" he asked aloud. His voice sounded hollow and surreal.

Before anyone could answer him, a loud and piercing shriek filled the air. Tifa put her hands over her ears. "What!" she cried.

Red XIII raised his head and sniffed the air. A foul scent filled his nostrils, and his ears dropped down low as he growled menacingly. Cloud followed the hound's gaze to the far end of the platform and cautiously walked towards it.

There was something rising up from beneath the Lifestream. The surface bubbled and swelled and then fell away in waves as the creature that had been hiding inside broke the surface and rose up swiftly. It moved so fast that Cloud did not have time to back away and he found himself suddenly staring into its face. His eyes widened.

"Jenova…!"

Indeed it was Jenova, but she looked entirely different. Before she had been a tall monster shrouded in folds of flesh, giant and terrifying. Now she was a giant, bloated ball. She had gorged on the Lifestream so that her body had become round and swollen. Flakes of petal-shaped flesh rose out around her head and over her body, rising and falling as she breathed.

The scariest thing of all was her face. That horrible face that was stretched out into an eternal scream. The sight of it reminded Cloud of Hojo in his Helletic form, his body twisted by Jenova's cells. That face, long and stretched, with eyes that were covered in a thin, fleshy film that stared unseeing into their hearts. They could feel her hate and her hunger through her eyes alone.

Cloud stared. This was the calamity in her truest form, bloated and gorged and always seeking more. Was she coming to protect her son? Or was she like the rest of the monsters, seeking only death and destruction? Cloud did not know exactly what this calamity was, but it was unlikely to be the former. Cloud reached behind him and drew his sword, held it out in front of him. He stepped back, slowly, and Jenova in turn inched forward onto the platform. Two long, vine-like tentacles reached up from just beneath her head and slammed onto the platform, pulling her along.

She stared at Cloud; mako dripped from her mouth. Then, suddenly, she attacked.

"It's coming!"

Jenova surged forward with surprising speed. Her two tentacles whipped out and struck Cloud before he had time to defend himself. One tentacle missed and hit the ground, but the other struck him hard across the face. The swordsman was thrown to the side and hit the ground hard. He rolled and lost his grip on his sword, which skidded across the platform.

The arms whipped again, this time heading for Tifa, who was running in for an attack. The young fighter expected the attack and quickly dodged and rolled out of the way, letting them sail past her before she got up and charged right up to Jenova's unguarded face.

Up close the calamity's face was even more terrifying—so terrifying that it almost made Tifa stop in her tracks. Almost. She mustered her courage and struck the calamity a devastating blow in her misshapen face. She could hear bones crack but Jenova seemed to be in no pain. The fighter drew back her other fist and struck again. More bones cracked, crushed beneath her might, but still the calamity did not react. The fighter struck again and again, delivering blow after blow, determined to keep the calamity from paying any attention to anything else.

Something wrapped around her waist and hoisted her into the air. Tifa cried out in alarm and tried to pry the tentacle away, but its grip was like iron and she could not budge it. Jenova lifted her high up and then threw her as easily as if she were but a small rock. Tifa landed hard on the edge of the platform. She rolled quickly away from the edge and pulled herself to her feet. Her vision swam, but she just shook her head and charged forward once again.

She passed Red XIII, who leaped over the thrashing tentacles as they sought to snatch him off the ground. The hound dived and latched onto the skin behind Jenova's 'petals'. He closed his jaws around the bulbous flesh and yanked hard. The flesh was thick and tasted bitter, but he managed to tear a large chunk of it open. As he did so a foul taste filled his mouth. Red XIII opened his eyes and saw a thick, green ooze seeping out of the skin, falling over his paws and face.

Hurriedly Red XIII released his hold and pulled back. The ooze was like glue and stuck to his face and fur. It had a heavy scent that made him dizzy, and though he had not swallowed any of it, Red XIII could already feel its poisonous effects trying to take hold. Red XIII shook his head, shaking off the venomous Bio oil. If he had held on any longer, he would have been in trouble.

Jenova raised her tentacles and crossed them over her head. She shrieked painfully and the hot flash of Ultima ripped its way across the platform. Cloud ran in front of Tifa and blocked the blast of light with his sword. The metal burned hot in his hands, singing his gloves, but he held on fast. Tifa clung onto his shirt, her eyes shut tight.

After a few moments Ultima's light faded. Cloud lowered his sword. Smoke rose from his burned gloves, and when Tifa opened her eyes she was horrified to see blood dripping where the leather had burned away entirely. Forgetting the danger Tifa ran in front of him and held closed her fingers around his hand. Her Cure materia glowed with a gentle light, and soothing steam rose from the wounds as they slowly healed.

Outraged by the interference, Jenova darted forward again. Cloud and Tifa parted quickly, ducking and diving out of the way as her tentacles came slamming down into the ground between them. One tentacle managed to grab Tifa around her waist again and sent her flying across the platform, slamming her into the ground.

The other tentacle reached for Cloud but he leaped over it and darted towards Tifa. He swung his sword and sliced through the tentacle holding her down. Jenova screeched in pain and brought her injured arm to her, cradling it. The severed tip flapped about like a fish out of water, and then became still. Despite the amount of Lifestream she had ingested, she was not invulnerable.

With Jenova's attention diverted, Red XIII called upon the Titan materia and summoned the great being onto the platform. Titan charged forward, his giant bulk causing the platform to shake with every step. He raised one gigantic fist and slammed it right into Jenova's face, striking with ten times more force than Tifa could ever hope to muster. The calamity was thrown back, green-black blood pouring from her left eye, crushed when Titan hit. The calamity landed with a thud, bounced like a ball, and then rolled to a stop. Her tentacles waved about in confusion.

As Titan returned to the materia from whence he had been summoned, Cloud ran forward. He thrust out his sword and shoved it right into Jenova's belly. The calamity shrieked in pain and anguish as the Buster Sword sliced through her, ripping organs apart. Blood spurted over the wound and drenched the blade, but Cloud was not done with her yet. He twisted the blade, pulling it vertical. He then began to pull it downward, intending to slice the calamity wide open.

Realising his intent, Jenova's uninjured tentacle whipped around and closed fast around his waist. It then slid up, winding around him. It pinned his arms to his sides, forcing him to release the Buster Sword. It moved upwards still and wound its way around his neck. The calamity lifted Cloud up into the air and began to squeeze.

"Cloud!" Tifa tried to run to him, but the wounded tentacle suddenly lashed out and struck her below her ribcage, flattening her once again. Red XIII, the only one able to move, dived and latched onto the arm. He started to yank but was forced to let go as more poisonous ooze seeped out of the calamity's pores. The hound turned to Jenova and growled warningly, but the calamity simply ignored him and carried on squeezing. The hound tried to draw her attention by casting a fireball, but it did nothing but slightly char her flesh.

Jenova continued to tighten her grip. Cloud coughed and choked, but suffocating him was not Jenova's objective. What she wanted was to snap the swordsman's neck clean in two. She tightened her grip further still, and there was a hint of a malicious smile on her malformed face as Cloud cried out.

A shot fired and ripped through the arm. It severed and Cloud dropped down onto the floor. Jenova cried out and curled her arm towards her. Cloud reached up and pulled the slackened arm away from his neck. He took deep lungfuls of air, too thankful to have air again to notice the shower of bullets that were raining over his head and driving Jenova back.

The swordsman wriggled free of the flapping tentacle and crawled over to Tifa. "Are you all right?" he asked her, his voice hoarse.

The fighter sat up. As she moved she winced and clutched at her ribs. She swallowed the pain and nodded. "Yes…" she said. Cloud touched her shoulder, but she just shook her head. She placed her hand over her chest, and the Cure materia glowed.

While Tifa worked to heal herself, Cloud finally looked up to see what had caused Jenova to cease her attack. To his amazement he saw Vincent standing on the platform above them. The gunman had his gun raised and was firing on Jenova. His shots struck the ground in front of her, forcing her back. The calamity screeched with each shot, cradling her injured arms to her. When she was far enough away Vincent jumped down, breaking through the barrier, and walked over to Cloud and Tifa.

"Vincent!" Cloud called, surprised. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Barret and the others?"

Vincent stopped beside them and regarded Cloud calmly. "I thought you might need some help dealing with her. They can handle things." He looked down at Tifa, who was still holding her ribs.

"I'm all right," she said quickly, guessing his thoughts.

Vincent raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He looked up over Cloud's shoulder. His eyes widened. "Cloud!" he shouted.

He pushed the swordsman aside and then quickly scooped Tifa up in his arms and leaped backwards, just as Jenova suddenly surged forward and slammed one of her arms onto the platform.

Even as he moved, Vincent was assessing the current situation. Red XIII was keeping his distance, trying to find an opening. Cloud's sword, he noted, was stuck in Jenova's underside. The blade was wedged in deep; she was badly wounded. Still, this was calamity from the skies. She would not go down easy.

Vincent gently lowered Tifa onto the floor. The fighter started to stand, but Vincent placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Stay there," he said. "Heal yourself first."

Tifa looked up at him defiantly, but then she sighed and sat back down. "All right," she said. She put her hand over her chest. She was in no position to argue.

Vincent left Tifa and rejoined Cloud, who stood nearby. Jenova watched him closely as he moved, her body turning slowly. She, too, was assessing the situation. Vincent looked over at Cloud. "Do you have a plan?" he asked.

Cloud shook his head. "It's fast," he replied. He looked down at his gauntlet, to the three balls of summon materia. "And there's not enough room for me to summon Bahamut." He looked at Vincent. "Odin?"

"Perhaps," said the gunman, giving it some thought. "Though there are other ways to use summon materia." He reloaded his gun and clicked the barrel shut. "But first, you need your sword back. I'll provide cover. You get your sword back."

Cloud nodded. It was as good a plan as any. Vincent raised his gun and ran forward, and Cloud ran close behind him. Vincent opened fire and then swerved sharply to the left. As he expected Jenova turned with him, shrieking in rage.

Cloud, meanwhile, swerved to the right and ran along Jenova's other side. The calamity whipped one of her arms around to strike at him, but Red XIII dived in and latched onto it, pinning it to the floor. Cloud jumped over the hound and ran in to where the Buster Sword was still sticking out of Jenova's gut. With one hard tug he yanked the blade out.

Jenova screamed in agony and swung her arm again even with Red XIII still attached to it. Cloud turned and ducked down, letting the arm sail over his head. It slammed into the ground, and Red XIII quickly reaffirmed his grip and pressed down on it with all his weight. The calamity tugged, but the hound had a firm hold; she could not move it. Jenova started to turn, but stopped as bullets ripped through her right-hand side. She turned her back on Cloud, and headed towards Vincent.

That was the moment Cloud was waiting for. He lunged and swung the sword in a tight upward strike. The blade cut a long, deep gash in Jenova's leathery body. The swordsman kept on moving, letting his momentum carry him forward. He struck again, this time in a downward arc, and cut another deep wound in Jenova's bulbous body. The calamity shuddered in struggled forward, trying to get out of the range of Cloud's blade.

Yet as she moved forward, Vincent opened fire, forcing her back. He ran along the outer edge of the platform, keeping out of range of Jenova's one remaining free arm. He paused to reload his gun and fired another set of rounds at the calamity. The calamity turned from him to focus on Cloud, who was her immediate threat as he cut numerous deep gashes into her side.

Vincent saw her arm whip round, and quickly he fired a shot at the point where her arm joined to her neck. The bullet ripped through the flesh, tearing through the muscle. The arm fell limp, useless, leaving Jenova defenceless. Realising this, the calamity pulled back, trying to move out of range of Cloud's blade.

But Cloud was far from finished. He whistled to Red XIII, who released Jenova's arm and ran over to join him. The two ran forward, Red XIII pulling ahead. The hound jumped and dug his claws into the calamity's back, getting a firm hold. Cloud then jumped and landed on the hound's shoulders, before he jumped again and landed on Jenova's top half.

The calamity turned about in confusion, bewildered by this sudden change in tactic. Cloud raised his sword over his head, intending to plunge it right into the calamity and end it right here.

_Because you are… a puppet…_

Cloud stopped. He hesitated. In that instant, Jenova's arm whipped up and swiped him from her back. The Buster Sword was wrenched from his grasp as the blow sent him flying back. The blade spun rapidly through the air before striking the ground, its tip embedded in the rock.

Cloud hit the ground near the Buster Sword. The swordsman rolled onto his back and stared up at the walls of mako that showered down the crater walls, and the floating platforms of rock that dotted the air. His vision then blurred as waves of dizziness overcame him, and everything blurred together into one giant, glowing green light.

Slowly, Cloud turned his head and looked up at the Buster Sword standing beside him. Unlike everything else, the image of the Buster Sword was perfectly clear. Cloud focused on it, as though seeing the blade for the first time. There were many scrapes and scratches along the wide metal blade now; worn from all the battles it had to endure. Cloud blinked. Had it always been like that? When had it started looking so… worn?

A piercing roar brought Cloud back to reality. The swordsman shook his head, clearing the fog, and rolled onto his front. He pushed himself to his knees and looked up. Ahead of him, his friends were still fighting. Tifa, now healed, had rejoined the battle and was calling his name. Red XIII had leaped onto the calamity's back and was attacking ferociously, biting and scratching. Vincent continued to run along the edge of the platform, firing his gun wherever he could find an opening. Jenova's body was drenched in blood, some of it their own.

As Cloud watched, Jenova opened her mouth and unleashed another wave of Ultima magic. Tifa flipped out of the way as the magic ripped through the ground, churning up the rock. It hit one of the giant boulders that bordered the platform. The boulder broke free and fell down into the Lifestream below, sinking beneath its surface.

His mind now clear, Cloud grabbed onto the hilt of the Buster Sword and pulled himself to his feet. His fingers lightly touched the blade, passing over the scratches. A puppet… Yes, he had been a puppet. Sephiroth had used him well, but no more. Sephiroth and Jenova would control him no longer. He would make his own choices now. And his first choice would be to end this battle now, and put an end to Jenova.

Cloud pulled the Buster Sword out of the rock. He held it ready before him. He took a breath, and then charged.

Jenova turned as she saw him coming, but it was too late. Cloud raised his sword above his head and leaped into the air. With an angry cry, he brought the blade down on Jenova's head.

The blade sliced cleanly through Jenova's neck, severing her head from her body. The calamity gave a strangled cry before her voice died out, and her head fell down onto the ground at Cloud's feet. The now beheaded body quivered, still struggling to hold onto life even as it seeped away. The arm made one last attempt as it reached, shakily, for Cloud, but fell limp as the life finally left it, dropping down onto the floor.

Cloud lowered his sword. He breathed heavily, his lungs aching. He watched as Jenova's body slowly lowered itself onto the ground. The life then left the rest of the body, and it sagged. With nothing left to hold it up, the body began to roll across the platform like a horrible, bloodied ball. It reached the end of the platform and rolled over the edge. It fell back into the Lifestream, landing with a loud splash. It bobbed like a cork for a second or two before sinking out of sight.

Silence fell upon the platform as those last few moments sank in. Cloud looked down to where Jenova's head lay. The head, too, was lifeless, but left a horrifying image in Cloud's mind. One eye was busted, stained with blood. The jaw was broken by repeated blows from Tifa and Titan. Cloud set his lips into a firm line and raised his sword again, intending to destroy this final remnant of the calamity from the skies.

A strong quake suddenly shook the platform, and Cloud stopped. He looked up in alarm as the platform began to break apart around him. The giant chunks of rock that surrounded the platform crumbled and fell down into the Lifestream below. The rising square pillars on which they stood separated, some of them falling down into the Lifestream while others floated upwards. He saw Red XIII leap back as the pillar he was standing on rose rapidly upwards. Cloud heard Tifa call his name, and he turned to run to her.

A bright light flashed, and the ground beneath his feet disappeared. The swordsman found himself falling, cool air rushing past his face. The bright light of the Lifestream rushed up to meet him. He fell into it, and he cried out as its burning light washed over him, swallowing him up entirely. He could not see the others, but he knew that they were there. He could feel their presence near him, and he felt energised with renewed courage. This was not the end.

The light faded. It turned into darkness, a darkness that Cloud remembered well from when he last fell into the Lifestream. He could feel its cool sensations pass over him, replacing the burning light. It wrapped around him like a cold blanket, gently smothering him. Cloud tried to fight against it, but he could not fight it for long. Slowly it began to win him over, yielding to its might.

Then… a light appeared. It was a small light, but it cut through the unending darkness, releasing Cloud from its hold. The swordsman looked into it. Though it was only a small light, trapped by the darkness, he could feel immense power pulsing within it, yearning to break free. Cloud's eyes widened.

"Li…ght…" he said. "A light… Is this… Is this light… Holy?"

Cloud headed towards that light. Before he could reach it, a harsher, brighter light flashed and took hold of him. It yanked him away, dragging him away from Holy.

To where it was taking him, Cloud had no idea.


	44. Part Fifteen: Chapter 42

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Forty-Two**

The light faded. When it did it released its hold on Cloud dropped him down onto a floating podium of rock. A second later the Buster Sword clattered down beside him. Cloud opened his eyes slowly, and winced as a bright light hit them. He shut them again and shook his head. He reached out and closed his fingers around the hilt of his sword, pulling it towards him. A series of thumps and thuds sounded around him.

"Oww…" said a disgruntled voice. "Damn, man!"

Cloud's head snapped up. He looked to his right. To his surprise he saw Barret on another floating podium just a little ways above him. As Cloud watched the big man pushed himself up onto his knees and rubbed dirt from his eyes.

"Barret!" said Cloud, blinking in disbelief.

Barret stopped rubbing his eyes and looked over at Cloud. He, too, blinked. "What…?" he asked in confusion. For a moment he thought he was dreaming. Just a few seconds ago he had been above the mako pit, backed up against the wall as he tried to fend off attacks from one of the Armoured Golems that had managed to break through their defences. Then a bright light appeared and before he knew it, he had landed here, on this floating rock.

He looked around. They had landed at the bottom of a large, cavernous pit, the true bottom of the Northern Cave deep beneath the Lifestream. Tall, rocky walls surrounded them on all sides, rising so high up above them they could not see where they led. Dozens of floating platforms of rock were dotted about the cavern, some close together, while others were further apart. Cloud and Barret were on two of the podiums closest to the bottom of the cavern.

They were not alone. The others were here too, on more of the floating rocks. Tifa was on the rock between him and Cloud. Yuffie and Cait were to his right. On Cloud's left there was Cid, Vincent and Red XIII, just standing up. Everyone was accounted for, brought here by that strange light.

"So everyone's together again…?" he asked, climbing to his feet.

Before anybody could reply a flash of light lit the cavern, as bright as lightning. An unseen force grabbed hold of the group and lifted them up off the rocks. The companions wriggled, trying to break free of the unseen hands that held them, but their efforts were in vain. They hung suspended over the rocks, fighting against an unknown assailant with no idea how to break free.

Before them, at the very centre of the mako pit, was a large globe of white light trapped in a prison of rock. A hole in the side of the rock allowed the light to shine through, but a powerful magic spell held it in thrall and kept it from escaping. It was from this globe that the force that held them now had come from.

The globe pulsed with intense brilliance and a ring of white light burst out of its centre. It hit the companions, who cried out as their bodies were wracked with a pain so intense that it drove the breath from their lungs and made them writhe about in agony. Never before had they felt something as agonizing as this. It felt as though every single part of them was being ripped apart, stabbed through, and electrified all at once. The pain continued to torture their bodies even after the light passed through them, unrelenting. They thrashed about in pain, unable to break free.

As he writhed, Cloud's eyes turned towards the globe. Through the haze of pain he saw the shadow of a man appear in its centre. The shadow moved closer, growing larger, and stepped out of the globe. The globe's light settled on the figure's back, shining brightly upon him. Cloud's eyes widened as he recognised the man floating before him. The silver hair and the cruel face, currently relaxed as though in sleep.

"…Sephiroth!"

Upon hearing his name, Sephiroth slowly opened his eyes. He raised his head and settled his gaze on Cloud. His glowing eyes hardened, and his lips twisted into a cold, callous smile. That smile… he had seen that smile before, in Nibelheim. When Cloud had been lying on the ground outside the burning ruins of his home, he had caught a glimpse of Sephiroth's face through the flames. A smile filled with malevolence and hate, seeking to destroy everything.

Sephiroth turned his gaze away from Cloud and looked around at the others who had come to challenge him. His eyes passed calmly over each one, assessing them. He was unimpressed with what he saw. The former SOLDIER spread his palms and another ring of light burst out from the globe behind him. It hit the companions and pushed them back, wracking their bodies with another wave of pain.

"Ugh…!" grunted Barret. "Is this… the true power of Sephiroth?"

Cid writhed, struggling to move against the unseen force. He tried to raise his spear, but his arms refused to cooperate. "My… my body…" the pilot said. His hand opened, and the spear fell down onto the rocks below. Cid gritted his teeth and writhed. "I can't control my body… Uuugh!"

The pilot cried out as he was suddenly yanked forward along with Cloud and the others. Sephiroth drew them close, and then at his command another ring of light burst from the globe and pushed them back out again. They screamed in pain as their bodies were flung back like dolls, and then stopped just as suddenly as the unseen force gripped them again and held them.

Red XIII threw back his head and howled. "My front legs… my hind legs…" The hound squirmed and twisted his body. "My tail's about to tear off!"

"This is definitely not good…" said Cait Sith. "He's way outta our league…" The cat struggled to keep a hold of his Mog, which was being steadily ripped apart.

"I, I don't know if I can… go on…" said Yuffie beside him, her voice strained.

Another ring of light passed through them, and once more the companions flinched as pain shot through their bodies.

Tifa coughed and gasped for breath. Her lungs felt as though they were being crushed from the inside. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, and her blood was pumping loudly in her ears. There was not a single part of her that did not ache with pain. She tried to look at Cloud, floating next to her. She could only just see him through the corner of her eye. Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. She closed her lids, and tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Cloud…" she whispered voicelessly. "Cloud…"

"Ugh… ugh…" Cloud groaned. Another ring of light hit him, and the swordsman gritted his teeth tightly against the pain. He coughed and raised his head, looking over at Sephiroth. "…There…" he said. "It's… there…"

"Cloud…?" Tifa forced her head to the side, looking at him.

Cloud took a few deep, shaky breaths. He swallowed and then gritted his teeth. Through willpower alone he pushed the pain aside and forced his wracked body to move. He raised his right arm first, lifting up the Buster Sword. Then he raised his left arm and closed his left hand around its hilt. He then held the sword out in front of him. He breathed heavily. He could feel it… there, in front of him.

"…Holy… Holy… is there… The Holy is shining… Aeris's prayer is shining…!"

Tifa followed his gaze. Behind Sephiroth, the large orb of light shone brightly. Cloud was right. Holy was _there._ She could feel it. Its presence was small, dwarfed by Sephiroth's presence. But its light was bright, shining. Holy was struggling on, even as Sephiroth threatened to shut off its light with darkness. Now she saw from where Cloud had drawn this strength. If Holy could continue to fight even in the presence of Sephiroth, then so could they!

The fighter closed her eyes and brought Aeris's image to her mind. She could feel Aeris's presence with them, even in death. She was praying for their victory, praying for Holy to move. "Holy… Aeris…" Tifa said. She breathed in deeply, let it out slowly. Yes… the more she thought about Aeris and Holy, the stronger she became.

"It's not over yet…" said Cloud. He raised his sword higher and looked over at Sephiroth. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed and his smile grew wider. Cloud gripped the sword tighter. "This isn't the end yet!" he shouted defiantly.

Sephiroth spread his palms. The companions lurched forward as they were drawn in once more and then thrown back out by another ring of Holy's bright light. However, instead of succumbing and screaming in pain, the companions began to fight back. Holy's presence gave them the strength that they needed to break free of the bonds that held them, releasing them from Sephiroth's grip. They rose up and surrounded Sephiroth and Holy.

"Hoo-ok…!" Cid said, pushing back his sleeves. "I can't be foolin' around in the bottom of this hellhole… I still have lots of stuff to do with my life!"

Vincent rose up to float beside him. "Damn…!" he cursed. "I was frozen in time… But now I feel as though my time is finally about to begin…!" The gunman drew his gun from its holster. "Sephiroth, now it's your time to sleep between the ages!"

"Maybe we were a little late in noticing the trouble that we were getting into…" Cait said regretfully. He clutched his megaphone close to his chest, remembering all the lives that had been lost due to Shinra's selfish greed. "But, there's still time… We should still be able to get out of it! Even if we can't get EVERYTHING back to normal!" The cat held out his weapon. "We should be able to protect what's most important!" he cried, and his Mog raised its arms in agreement.

Yuffie, meanwhile, looked torn. "Maybe… Maybe I shouldn't have come…" she said hesitantly. "I don't need… materia… any…" She paused, shook her head, and her eyes flared up. "Nope, I still want it!" she announced proudly, unhooking her shuriken. "This an' that an' everything… MINE! And I'm never gonna give any up!"

"…No way we're gonna lose!" shouted Red XIII. The hound shook himself free of his bonds and floated up to join Vincent and Cid. "I'm going to see it through to the end! For the future… And that of the planet…" The hound turned his gaze upwards, to the darkness that hovered over them. "I understand now, Grandpa," he said. "This is my mission! I won't let the Lifestream… or the life of the Planet, wither away!"

Tifa rose up. She joined Cloud on his left-hand side, floating beside him. She pulled her gloves taught and clenched her fists tight. "We're not gonna lose!" she said to Sephiroth, her dark eyes blazing. "Aeris is here… everyone is here… Cloud is here with us! There's still so many things for us to do… I'm not giving up!"

Barret rose up and joined Cloud on his other side. "Urrrrrrgh! Not only Aeris… Holy is the prayer of AVALANCHE… of Marlene and Dyne… And everyone on the planet!"

That left only Cloud. The swordsman floated forward, the Buster Sword firmly in his hands. The sword's scarred, worn surface shone dully in Holy's light, but it remained as strong as ever. After all, it carried in it the hopes, dreams and memories of those who had held it before him. Like Zack. Cloud would be the last to hold his sword, the last in a short legacy of brave swordsman who put all their hopes into this one sword. Now it was time for the Buster Sword to fulfil its fate. Cloud held the sword firmly and looked into Sephiroth's cold eyes.

"Aeris's memories…" Cloud began. "Our memories… We came… to tell you… our memories…" He turned his gaze to Holy, shining brightly behind Sephiroth. "Come Planet! Show us your answer! And Sephiroth! To the settling of everything!"

Sephiroth raised his eyes and looked at him. His gaze hardened, trying to pierce through his heart and will, but Cloud held firm and did not waver. Sephiroth looked around once more at Cloud's companions. They were the same. Their will did not waver before him. In fact, it had increased. Each one of them stood firm, set in their determination to bring this to an end and save the planet from his wrath.

If this was the fate they chose… then so be it.

He spread his arms wide, and the air around him became heavy with unimaginable energy. The air began to ripple like water, extending outwards from his being. It hit the companions, who surged forward to meet him.

Holy flashed once, and a brighter, stronger ring of light burst out from its centre and flung the companions harshly back away from Sephiroth. They slammed into the floating rocks scattered throughout the mako pit, separated from each other.

"So be it!" Sephiroth shouted, and with that he rose swiftly upward, disappearing into the darkness that hung like a dark cloud over the mako pit.

When he descended, his form had changed. The human being they knew as Sephiroth was gone, and in his place was the monster known only as Bizarro Sephiroth. He stood taller than a building, with monstrous shoulders and arms that ended not with hands but with powerful wings. He had two heads, one rising out of the other, both with eyes that were ice-cold blue and devoid of the warmth of life. At his waist there was a brightly glowing yellow orb, pulsing with power.

Sephiroth spread his wing-like arms and floated down the pit to where the companions were just rising to their feet. When they saw Sephiroth's new form they hesitated, startled, but then gripped their weapons with fresh determination. It did not matter what form Sephiroth took. They would still beat him down!

Sephiroth's heads turned and their gaze settled upon Cloud. He raised one large winged arm and brought it crashing down onto the rocky podium where the swordsman stood.

Cloud jumped back out of the way of the feather fingers as they slammed into the rock. The strength of the blow cleaved the podium in two, sending chunks of rock tumbling towards the pit below them. These chunks of rock fell and then suddenly stopped and floated in midair, held up by the power of the Lifestream. Cloud glanced down at them before returning his attention to the monster before him. Sephiroth was raising his hand again, preparing another strike. The swordsman braced himself.

A light flashed overhead, and Tifa's voice called out to him. "Cloud! Up here!"

Cloud looked up and even Sephiroth halted his attack long enough to see Leviathan emerge from the light overhead and dive into the pit. Sitting on the serpent's back were Tifa and Yuffie, riding the dragon as it dived down to the broken podium.

Sephiroth scowled and brought his hand down on the podium. Cloud turned and dived off just as Sephiroth's hand smashed into it, breaking it apart. The swordsman meanwhile landed on the floating rocks and jumped rapidly from one to another, using them as stepping stones. Leviathan flew alongside and Tifa held out her hand to Cloud. He took it, and she pulled him up onto Leviathan's back just as Sephiroth's hand swiped again. Leviathan screeched and soared back up to the sky, out of reach of Sephiroth.

Sephiroth turned his heads upwards and watched as Leviathan rose to a safe distance and circled the pit, watching him. Both heads smiled with evil intent and he raised his arms. Flames gathered around the tips of his feathery fingers. They formed into fireballs and he fired them off, one by one, up towards Leviathan. The serpent dodged and weaved through the fireballs as they soared past. One skimmed Leviathan's tail, and the serpent roared in agony. He writhed and lashed his tail.

"Wow, that was close!" said Yuffie, looking back. Leviathan was not hurt badly—the flames had only skimmed it. The ninja sighed and turned to Sephiroth. "Watch where you're throwing those things!" she shouted angrily.

Her words were met by another series of fireballs. Once more Leviathan was forced to weave his way through as the air became hot with fire. This time he avoided being hit, but kept on moving to avoid being a still target.

Sephiroth watched as Leviathan circled the pit, amused by their attempts to avoid his fire strikes. Once more he spread his hands and flames began to form, larger and more condensed, intent on bringing the serpent and his riders crashing down.

A series of sharp, painful shots struck Sephiroth in his right shoulder. Sephiroth lowered his arms, the flames dissipating, and turned to look at the new attacker.

Barret was standing on one of the lower platforms, gun-arm raised and firing a continuous stream of bullets at the monster before him. Sephiroth raised his wing to shield himself from the bullets, and then without warning lunged and swiped his arm across the podium. His fingers swept over the rock and sent it spinning across the pit with Barret still on it. The resistance leader dropped down and clung to the rock as it spiralled wildly out of control. His world pun and then stopped with a great shudder as the rock slammed into the wall of the pit. Barret lost his grip on the rock and slid down towards the edge. He reaffirmed his hold just in time and held on tight.

The rock remained in place, stuck in a crack along the wall of the pit. Barret tried to pull himself back up the rock, but lost his grip again and slid down and over the edge. For a brief moment he fell, before he landed heavily on an outcrop of rock almost directly beneath the podium. The man groaned and rolled onto his back. He breathed heavily, amazed. He was still alive.

On the other side of the mako pit, Vincent sat behind Odin as Sleipnir galloped across a winding path that circled the outer edge of the pit. Odin tugged on the reins and Sleipnir obediently turned and leaped off the path and onto one of the nearby platforms. Six heavy hooves thudded into the dirt, churning up rock, but the horse ploughed on regardless, leaping to the next platform and then the next. The horse followed the platforms as they moved across the pit, heading towards Sephiroth.

Pausing briefly on one platform, Odin raised his spear and threw it at Sephiroth. The monster saw it coming and swiftly dodged to one side. The spear sailed past and struck the wall behind him.

Sephiroth moved back and turned to face Vincent and Odin. He closed his wings over his torso, and the yellow orb at his waist began to glow. The air around it wavered, and sparks of light formed and were drawn into the orb. A beam of light suddenly burst out of the orb. Sleipnir jumped out of the way of the beam as it ripped through the rocky podium. It did not destroy the rock but obliterated it entirely, leaving not even a single trace of it behind. Sleipnir missed the beam only by a hair's breadth—signified by the steam rising from his rear hooves.

After destroying the podium the beam carried on and hit the far wall of the pit. It tore through the rock, incinerating it. The blast caused the pit to shake violently. The beam ended, and as the steam and smoke faded away the damage to the inner wall became clear. There was a massive hole nearly ten metres wide burned into the wall, and delving metres deep.

Overhead, Cloud leaned over Leviathan's side and looked down at the hole.

"Did you _see_ that!" cried Yuffie, her eyes wide. "There's no way we can fight against something like that. He's way stronger than us. This is just crazy!"

"It might be crazy, but we have no other choice," said Cloud. He leaned over Leviathan's side again, surveying the battlefield. Sephiroth had turned his attention away from them and was following Odin's horse as it darted around the pit, leaping from platform to platform, trying to find an opening. When Sephiroth turned his back, Cloud grasped Yuffie's shoulder. "Dive, Yuffie."

Yuffie sighed. "If you say so." She placed her hand on the serpent's long neck, stroking it. "Leviathan, dive!" she commanded.

Leviathan obediently did as she bade and dropped into a steep dive. Yuffie, Cloud and Tifa held tightly onto the serpent's scales as he dived. Air rushed past their faces, drowning out all other sounds. Sephiroth's monstrous blue form zoomed in to meet them, and at the last moment Cloud drew up his knees and pushed himself away from Leviathan. Tifa cried out to him but Cloud was already moving, his sword in hand, falling down towards Sephiroth.

The uppermost head heard Tifa's cry and looked upwards. He saw Cloud descending, his blade crackling with powerful electric light. Sephiroth scowled and pushed his palms into the cranium of the lower head. The long lengths of blue hair that framed its face rose up like antennae. Electrified energy began to crackle around them. Cloud brought down his sword and crashed headfirst into the energy.

A loud and deafening explosion filled the air and the pit was filled with a wave of bright light. Yuffie and Tifa covered their eyes as a wave of electrified light swept over them, making the hairs on their arms and necks stand on end. Leviathan quickly pulled back and curled his tail around his body, protecting his riders.

Cloud opened his eyes. The light was blinding. His blade pushed down on the two antennae-like bangs, trying to break through the shield of energy that separated him from Sephiroth. Electricity swept over his blade and over his hands, tightening the muscles, but Cloud gritted his teeth and kept on pushing. He _would_ break through.

Through the light he could see Sephiroth. The upper head glared back at him with eyes that were cold and empty and full of hatred, narrowed into thin slits. Cloud put all of his strength into his arms, pushing down on the shield of crackling light. It was a battle of wills between him and Sephiroth, and Cloud was not about to lose.

The shield wavered. Cloud could feel it weakening. His will, his desire to protect his friends, gave him the strength that he needed. His blade cut through the shield and the light disappeared. With no barrier to separate them, Cloud dived forward. Seeing him approach, Sephiroth's eyes widened with interest. Was this the same puppet?

Before he could finish that thought, Cloud was suddenly in front of him. Sephiroth met his gaze and grinned as Cloud landed in front of him, drew back his blade and then, with a cry, thrust it out with all his strength.

The blade sliced through Sephiroth's neck, almost completely severing the head from its body. Cloud raised his sword and slashed again, and this time cut the head from the body. The rest of the companions stared in wide-eyed amazement as the bodiless head rolled down Sephiroth's broad back. Those in range caught a glimpse of the face as it fell—it was still grinning. The head plunged down and landed with a splash into the Lifestream. It sank out of sight, disappearing beneath the surface.

Sephiroth spread his wings and flapped them gently. He did not seem at all fazed by the loss of his upper head. Instead he just beat his wings harder and sent a powerful gust of swing sweeping throughout the mako pit.

Cait Sith clung to his Mog as the podium he was standing on was caught up in the breeze and lurched suddenly upwards. It smashed into the wall and hung there, suspended at an angle. The collision made Cait lose his grip on the Mog and he fell through the air. Red XIII, running nearby, leaped and snatched the cat up in his jaws. The hound landed on the winding path surrounding the pit. He dropped Cait, who clambered onto his back. Then the hound set off with his new rider, running along the path to rejoin the others.

The upper body sagged backwards, lifeless. With his job done Cloud jumped back out of the way. As he descended he caught a glimpse of movement and turned to see Ifrit slam into one of the lower platforms and then leap up towards Sephiroth. Sephiroth turned and swiped one of his large wings, brushing the fiery demon aside. Yet as soon as he did he realised his mistake as Vincent, astride Sleipnir, leaped at him. Sephiroth opened his mouth and unleashed a stream of fire, but Sleipnir smoothly dodged to one side, missing the flames.

Vincent stood up and pushed himself away from the horse. He raised his gun and fired two shots. Both shots struck Sephiroth in his round shoulder. The gunman landed on Sephiroth's shoulder and quickly jumped again, firing two more rounds into Sephiroth's other shoulder. They did little damage, but were enough to draw Sephiroth's attention long enough for Red XIII, with Cat on his back, to leap onto a nearby podium and call upon Titan. The summon appeared before him and charged forward, his footsteps causing the platform to shake. Before Sephiroth could turn Titan jumped, his fist clenched, and struck the glowing globe at Sephiroth's waist.

The globe cracked… and then shattered. A blast of intense energy fired out from inside, surrounding the summon. Titan roared in pain, and then his voice died out.

The burning energy surrounded Sephiroth too, and even his skin was burned by the searing energy. He writhed in pain and folded his arms across his torso. The feathers shimmered and showers of sparkling light began to filter down onto the burned skin. The skin bubbled and began to close, healing itself.

Cloud saw this and turned. "Barret, he's healing himself!" he called. "Stop him!"

"You got it!" replied Barret. He raised his gun-arm and opened fire. His bullets sank into Sephiroth's arm, but Sephiroth ignored the wounds and continued to work on healing himself. Barret cursed and used his Fire materia to add more power to his bullets. The bullets did damage, piercing and burning the flesh of his shoulders. A hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him around. Barret stopped firing as Cid snatched the Fire materia from his gun-arm and slotted it into the pole of his spear.

"Let me!" he said. The pilot then hoisted his spear (which he had retrieved from where it had fallen) up onto his shoulder, took aim, and then threw it.

The spear landed in Sephiroth's shoulder. On contact the Fire materia flashed and the spear erupted into flame. The flames spread like wildfire along Sephiroth's shoulders and across his broad torso, damaging the skin faster than his healing magic could fix it. Sephiroth roared and writhed in pain, his wings flailing as he tried to bat out the flames that were spreading quickly along his body.

"Not so fast!"

Sephiroth looked up and had a sudden sense of déjà vu as he saw Tifa falling down towards him. The fighter kicked a devastating blow to Sephiroth's jaw, sending his head reeling backwards. She grasped Sephiroth's head and drove her knee into his face, before drawing back her fist.

"Tifa," she heard Barret call, "get back now!"

Tifa looked down at her feet. A ball of light rose up in front of her, separating her from Sephiroth. It shimmered and began to take form. Tifa stared as the light took on the form of an angel, with small, glowing wings and a cool, calm face. But unlike the angels she had seen in stories, this angel had eyes that were literally made of ice. They glinted as they stared at her, and the angel's calm face split into an evil, heartless smile.

"Tifa!" called Cloud. "Get back!"

This time she heeded his words and jumped back away from Sephiroth, landing on the platform beside Cloud. The angel spread its arms and then raised them over its head. Numerous fireballs filled the air above them, covering the sky in a blanket of fire. The angel then lowered its arms and the balls rained down onto the battlefield.

The companions raised their arms to shield themselves as the fireballs rained down around them. Those that hit the platforms dug deep holes into the rock, incinerating them so that they were black and charred. Cait covered his head with his hands and cried out as Red XIII leaped from podium to podium, dodging the fireballs whilst trying to make his way over to his friends.

Through the falling fire he saw Vincent and Barret standing back to back as they fired shots imbued with ice up at the fireballs that fell around them, freezing them and shattering them. To the other side, Cloud swiped his sword, slicing the balls that came within range. Tifa could only dodge, ducking and rolling around the platform, trying not to be hit.

Then, something pierced through the fire. It struck Sephiroth squarely in his chest and flung him back into the wall of the mako pit, pinning him against it. Sephiroth roared in rage as he looked down at the massive spear that penetrated his torso and pinned him to the wall. He looked up at Cid and Odin, standing together on the outer rim. The pilot rubbed his nose and gave Cloud a thumbs up.

"There ya go! I got him pinned. Now hurry up and finish the job!" he shouted.

Cloud nodded. He turned to Barret. "Barret, over here!" he called.

Barret nodded and leaped down onto the lower platform. He ran alongside Cloud to the edge, where he stopped and stretched out his arm. Cloud jumped and landed on his gun-arm and then, with Barret giving him a push, jumped again and soared up towards Sephiroth.

Sephiroth was pinned and unable to escape. He raised his wings but did it too late. Cloud zoomed in, swung his blade, and thrust the sword. He struck. The blade sank home.

And, in that moment, everyone held their breath.

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

_Gaaaah, this battle was so annoying to write! D: I'm nowhere near completely happy with it. Sephiroth just REFUSED to cooperate with me. DAMN YOU, YOU SON-OF-A-CALAMITY!_

_Also, this battle was written to Chaos's theme from Dissidia. Just in case you wanted to know._


	45. Part Fifteen: Chapter 43

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Forty-Three**

The silence that followed after Cloud struck was immense. The companions stood still, their eyes fixed on Cloud and Sephiroth. Everything was so quiet and so still it was as though Stop had been cast over the battlefield, keeping everything in place.

Cloud was standing on Odin's spear, which still pierced Sephiroth's torso. His sword was embedded deeply in Sephiroth's chest, just beneath his heart. Blood trickled thickly down the blade. It reached the hilt and spilled onto Cloud's fingers. A few drops fell and splashed onto the mako pool far below them, marring the gentle green surface with dots of ugly red.

Whatever magic had gripped the field then vanished, as Sephiroth shuddered and coughed. Droplets of blood splashed onto the blade, and Cloud raised his head. Sephiroth was glaring down at him, his face twisted in anger. Blood seeped out of the corners of his mouth. When he coughed droplets fell and landed on Cloud's face, trickling down his cheeks. Cloud ignored them, gazing up into the eyes of his enemy.

"You…" Sephiroth's voice was hoarse. "This… This is not over yet!"

Cloud responded by pushing his sword deeper into Sephiroth's chest, until it was almost at the hilt. Sephiroth coughed again and more blood spilled onto the blade. Numerous drops fell onto the mako below, forming a reddish cloud. Sephiroth shuddered—Cloud could feel his body weakening. He altered his grip and withdrew the Buster Sword, and then jumped back off the spear to rejoin his friends on the platforms below. They all gathered around him, looking up at Sephiroth.

Odin's spear disappeared and Sephiroth sagged heavily. His head slumped onto his chest. He moved away from the wall, moving slowly towards them. Before he could reach the companions a tremor shook his body and he began to fall. Sephiroth raised his wings, reaching for the companions, but they dropped back to his sides as the strength left them. He fell into the Lifestream, shattering its smooth surface. He sank, and the mako closed over him. He was gone.

One by one the companions lowered their weapons and began to breathe again. They could not believe it. It was over.

The only one who did not lower his weapon was Cloud. He stared down into the mako pool's shifting surface. No, it was not over yet. Sephiroth had said so himself. The swordsman raised his sword and held it ready, waiting.

The surface of the pool started to bubble. It swelled and then burst upwards, sending showers of mako flying into the air. The mako began to swirl around them, growing so hot that clouds of steam began to rise off of it. The clouds spread and surrounded the companions, growing so thick that they blotted everything from sight. Tifa turned and watched in alarm as one by one her friends vanished from her sight, swallowed up by the smoke. The ground beneath her feet disappeared, dispersing into the clouds, leaving her with the feeling that she was standing on the clouds themselves.

"Cloud!" she called, trying to find him through the smoke.

"What the hell's happening?" That was Cid's voice, coming from behind her.

"This is Sephiroth's doing." Red XIII's voice spoke from somewhere beside her.

"What!" exclaimed Yuffie. "You mean he's not dead yet?"

"That blow should have $%^&*# killed him!" That, obviously, came from Barret.

"Hmph," grunted Vincent. He didn't seem too surprised.

"This is Sephiroth you're talkin' about," Cait said. "You didn't think he'd go down as easy as that, did you?"

Cloud gripped his sword tightly. "Show yourself, Sephiroth!" he called to the clouds.

_As you wish…_

The clouds lifted, and the companions saw that once again the scenery around them had changed. When they could see each other again the eight friends drew together and stood in a wide circle, facing outwards, examining their new surroundings.

They stood at the centre of the Twirling Heavens, a landscape of Sephiroth's own devising, chosen specially for this final confrontation. Dozens of white clouds swirled around them, stretching endlessly into the distance. When they looked down they saw that there was no ground beneath their feet; they stood on the air itself. An unknown source of light shone around them, filling the battlefield with light.

Above them the clouds parted. The companions looked up and their mouths opened wide in awe as Sephiroth emerged from the parting clouds, descending upon them.

Once again Sephiroth's form had changed. From the waist up he was human—mostly—with his chest bare and muscled, his arms spread out. His left arm was normal with the palm facing upwards, but his right arm had been replaced by a long purple-black wing with feathers that were as sharp and deadly as blades. Sephiroth's face was cold and impassive, betraying no emotion. His long silver hair trailed above him, shimmering as the bright light of the heavens passed over it. Behind his shoulders and head were two large golden halos that shone brightly with untold energy, twirling slowly.

From the waist down all semblance of humanity disappeared, as his legs were replaced with six great white wings. These wings, with their purple-tipped feathers, beat slowly as Sephiroth floated down and hovered before the companions. The companions stood together, unwavering, their weapons ready in their hands. Sephiroth's eyes passed over them, unblinking.

"Sephiroth!" called Cloud. He stepped forward. His footsteps made the air around him ripple, as though he were walking on water. Cloud stopped in front of Sephiroth. He raised his sword. "This ends here. We won't let you destroy the Planet."

Sephiroth looked down at him. His lips twisted into a smile. "Come and try," he said.

Cloud accepted the challenge. He charged.

Sephiroth raised his winged arm and brought it down in front of him. The wingblade cut right through the air—they could hear it being ripped apart—and sent a powerful gust of wind and energy hurtling towards Cloud. Cloud swung his sword and cut through the energy, splitting it in two. He swung his sword again, and the blade clashed against Sephiroth's wing. There was a flash as the two connected, and tendrils of white energy tapered off around them.

Cloud drew his sword and struck again. Sephiroth, too, swung his arm. The two weapons clashed and more white sparks danced around them. Sephiroth's wing blade was harder than steel, and the strength put into each strike was immense. Cloud returned each of Sephiroth's blows with a strike of his own, fighting back with equal strength and determination. Gradually he began to push Sephiroth back.

The Buster Sword clanged against the wing blade. Sephiroth grunted and pulled back away from Cloud, his face dark. He raised his hand and a ball of dark energy formed around it. When Cloud saw it he jumped back out of the way. Sephiroth grinned and threw the ball down at Cloud's feet. The ball expanded, tripling in size. It pulled Cloud in, and the he cried out as the shock of Demi tried to tear his body apart.

Tifa gasped. She turned to her friends. "Come on!" she said, and ran in to join the final battle for the planet. Her friends looked at each other, nodded, and then followed her into battle.

Sephiroth looked up; saw the companions heading towards him. With a wave of his hand he cast Cloud away and turned to face them. He gestured with his hand, daring them to come. Still he mocked them and made light of their strength.

Barret and Vincent stopped and stood side by side as they fired a stream of bullets through the air. Seeing the volley approach, Sephiroth held out his hand, palm open, in front of him. A wall of energy rose up in front of him and blocked the bullets, which bounced off with a clang.

While the two gunmen fired their weapons Ifrit came thundering past them, charging on all fours towards Sephiroth. The beast then stopped and leaped into the air. Flames swept over his fist like a glove, making his already powerful arm much more deadly. The beast roared loudly and then brought his fist crashing down on Sephiroth's barrier, intending to smash it to pieces. The barrier gave a jolt and a long crack formed in its translucent surface, but it remained in place, protecting Sephiroth from harm. Ifrit landed in front of the calamity and raised his fist once more, this time preparing to smash the barrier completely.

Moving so fast the eye could barely see it, Sephiroth lowered his barrier and swung his wing blade. Ifrit scrabbled as he was swept up off the floor, and with another wave of his arm Sephiroth sent him flying through the air. He sailed over Barret and Vincent, and Barret paused in his volley long enough to watch Ifrit fly overhead.

"Barret!" called Vincent.

Barret turned back. His eyes widened as he saw Sephiroth surging towards him, moving at astonishing speed. Before Barret could even think about moving away Sephiroth was upon him, his wing blade raised and ready to strike. The wing came down and Barret closed his eyes tight. There was a loud clash followed by a flash of light. Barret slowly opened his eyes. Cloud was standing in front of him, the Buster Sword raised level over his head. The wing blade rested heavily against the sword, blocked by the sword.

Cloud glanced over his shoulder. "Hurry…" he said through gritted teeth. "Move!"

The former resistance leader did as he was told and jumped back. He raised his gun-arm and fired. Sephiroth instantly raised his barrier, blocking the bullets just in time. Sephiroth ignored Barret and looked down at Cloud still standing in front of him, blocking Sephiroth's wing with his sword.

"You," Sephiroth said in his deep, calm voice, "are becoming a nuisance." He smiled. "Why not go back to being a puppet and let me pull your strings some more?"

Cloud cursed. "Never!" he said, and pushed on his sword. Little by little, the wing blade was pushed back, succumbing to Cloud's greater will.

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. He raised his hand. Sparks of energy formed around it and were drawn into the centre of his palm. His hand glowed, and a beam of blue energy came shooting out. Cloud lowered his sword and dived out of the way, feeling the heat of the beam as it sailed narrowly past him. The swordsman hit the floor and rolled back onto his feet. He held his sword out in front of him, ready to attack.

Sephiroth moved after him. There was a flash of light and something suddenly zipped past his face. Sephiroth halted. Something trickled down his cheek. Sephiroth reached up and touched his face; stared at the blood that was on his fingertips. The calamity's brow creased in almost uncontrollable anger.

There was a second flash of movement, but this time Sephiroth was ready for it as he reached out and snatched the object out of the air. He looked down at the object. It was a shuriken. Sephiroth looked behind him and saw Yuffie standing at a safe distance with a surprised look on her face, startled that he had caught her weapon so easily. Sephiroth waved his hand and hurled the shuriken right back at her. Yuffie nimbly leaped out of the way and, while she was in mid-flip, Sephiroth fired another beam of pale blue light. The ninja saw the beam coming but was unable to dodge it in time. She braced herself for the end.

Out of nowhere, a wall of water rose up in front of her. The beam struck the water and exploded into a shower of light. The wall held firm, steam rising as the heat of the beam surged through it. Behind the wall Yuffie stared in wonder as the water wall glowed brightly. A shadow fell behind her and she turned, smiling in relief as she saw Leviathan settle down behind her. The serpent hissed, putting all its energy into the wall, protecting his summoner.

Sephiroth closed his palm and the beam ceased. Catching movement in the corner of his eye he swerved easily to the side, missing Cloud's attempt to catch him off guard. Behind Cloud, Cid threw his spear, and with a wave of his wing blade Sephiroth sent the weapon flying back, along with Cloud and Cid.

Sephiroth smiled in sadistic pleasure as the two men crashed and rolled along the floor. Then something large and heavy slammed into his back, knocking the wind out of him. The calamity stumbled forward. His wings crumpled beneath him and he fell down onto the floor.

Titan stood over him. Red XIII stood on the titan's broad shoulder, with Cait Sith sitting safely on his back. With a word from Cait the titan raised his fists above his head, preparing to end it all in one powerful blow.

But Sephiroth was far from finished. With a beat of his wings he moved out of the way of Titan's fists as they slammed uselessly into the ground. Red XIII ordered Titan to follow him, but Sephiroth was already up off the ground and rising high up into the air. The calamity stopped and hovered in the air above them. He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes.

Light swept throughout the Twirling Heavens, burning so brightly that it blotted out the clouds and the sky. The companions looked around in alarm as everything around them vanished, swallowed up by the white light. Dark shadows fell over their bodies, in contrast to the light.

Then it hit them. A hundred balls of bursting black energy burst out of the light and swamped the battlefield. The balls surrounded the companions and summons, contracted and then exploded in a shower of dark light. They screamed as the light whipped their bodies, cutting through clothing and flesh.

On Titan's shoulder, Red XIII howled and writhed in pain. Cait lost his grip and fell from the hound's back, tumbling down onto the ground below. Seconds later Red XIII fell down beside him, no longer able to maintain his grip.

Just as suddenly as it had hit, the light vanished. The companions all sagged and dropped to their knees, gasping for breath. The effects of the dark light were evident on their bodies: cuts and slashes covered their skin, and blood trickled from the wounds. Even Yuffie, with Leviathan wound protectively around her, had not escaped the onslaught. She clung to the serpent, also wounded, as blood poured down her arm from a gash in her right shoulder.

Cloud rose unsteadily to his feet. His hands were shaking. There was no doubt: Sephiroth was far stronger than he had been before. Bizarro Sephiroth was like a warm-up, a test to see if they truly had what it took to bring Sephiroth down. Now Sephiroth was not holding back. He showed them no mercy. Even fighting as one, Sephiroth was more than a match for them. They had to fight back with everything they had, or they and the planet would die.

And that was something he could not allow.

A shadow fell over him. Cloud looked up and saw Sephiroth descending before him. The calamity's six white wings beat slowly as he floated down to stand before Cloud. Sephiroth's arms were spread, his cold eyes bore into him.

"Why do you keep fighting?" Sephiroth asked him. When Cloud did not respond, the calamity turned his eyes to the Twirling Heavens, looking around at the clouds. "The Planet is already dying, Cloud. Shinra has been sucking up its life for years. All I'm doing is giving the Planet a swift end, putting it out of its misery and returning it to the Lifestream of the cosmos. But you want to prolong its suffering." Sephiroth chuckled. "How heartless you are."

"I'm not going to prolong its suffering," Cloud responded. "I'm giving the Planet a chance to decide its fate for itself. It's not for you to decide when it should die."

"You think Holy will save you? Holy acts solely on the will of the Planet. If the Planet wishes it, Holy will erase you and the rest of your kind from existence. Holy and Meteor are both cut from the same cloth. Forever in opposition but born as one. The Cetra's prayer may have called Holy, but her wish is meaningless."

Sephiroth smiled. Cloud recognised that smile. It was the same smile he had worn before he pulled his masamune out of Aeris's body and watched her fall, lifeless, to the floor. Cloud's hands shook in anger, the same anger he had felt back then.

Sephiroth slashed his winged arm, and Cloud jumped back out of its reach. When he landed a ring of light appeared, and the swordsman leaped back once more as a blast of light erupted from the ring, renting the air. The shockwave caught Cloud and sent him flying, but when he landed he quickly rose back onto his feet and charged forward. He leaped, blade thrust out, aiming to do as he had done with Bizarro Sephiroth and pierce Sephiroth's dark heart, bringing this to a bloody end.

Sephiroth beat his wings and rose up, flying out of Cloud's reach. The swordsman sailed past underneath. He landed and watched as Sephiroth rose up into the clouds.

"Cloud!"

Cloud turned. Tifa was running towards him. Cloud held out his sword and twisted the blade so that it was hanging flat. Tifa jumped and landed on the broad side of the blade. She jumped and Cloud pushed the blade upwards, giving her a boost as she soared up into the air. The fighter reached out and grabbed hold of one of Sephiroth's wings as it came within reach. She yanked hard, pulling herself upwards so that she was level with Sephiroth. Grabbing the calamity by the shoulder, she pulled him around to face her.

Before Sephiroth could defend himself, Tifa clenched her fist and smashed it into Sephiroth's face. There was the painful crunch of bone smashing against bone. Tifa drew back her other fist and struck again. Her diamond studs cut into Sephiroth's skin, staining them with blood.

"That was for Nibelheim!" she shouted.

Sephiroth swung his wing blade, but the fighter simply swerved her head out of the way. The edge of the blade caught her shoulder, but she ignored the pain and instead punched Sephiroth in his face once more. The calamity fell back, but Tifa grabbed onto his wrist. She pushed herself upwards so that she was moving over him. He looked up at her.

"And this… is for my father!"

She fell and drop-kicked Sephiroth in the back of his head. Sephiroth's hand was wrenched from her grasp as the calamity was sent hurtling back towards the ground. He slammed into the invisible ground, separating the clouds that gathered there. The clouds swarmed around him, covering him from view. Tifa landed on the ground seconds later. She looked up at the clouds, panting heavily.

Cait Sith and his Mog walked towards the edge of the mass of clouds. "Did that do it, I wonder?" he asked aloud, tapping his megaphone on his shoulder. Cautiously the cat leaned forward, trying to see Sephiroth through the clouds.

A wing shot out of the clouds. It struck the Mog and sent it flying backwards. Cait, meanwhile, watched in horror as Sephiroth rose up out of the clouds. He hovered above the clouds. Cait trembled and fled, retreating to run behind Red XIII.

Barret and Vincent opened fire. Sephiroth raised his Wall and blocked the bullets. Cid threw his spear and Yuffie hurled her shuriken with all her might. Sephiroth swerved smoothly out of the way of the spear and snatched the shuriken once more out of the air. He closed his fist around it, crushing the Conformer. He dropped the crushed weapon onto the floor, and Yuffie gulped. Sephiroth looked around at the eight companions standing around him.

"No more games…" he said. He raised his arms above him.

Cid quickly retrieved his spear and then ran to rejoin the others, who were gathering together in front of their enemy. They raised their weapons, bracing themselves for whatever attack Sephiroth was going to throw at them.

The sky behind Sephiroth opened up and began to disperse. It was as though Sephiroth had opened a doorway into the heart of the Heavens, and the darkness that lay beyond the door was surging through. The bright light of the sky and clouds disappeared, replaced by an impenetrable darkness that encompassed everything. Sephiroth lowered his arms and retreated into the shadows, vanishing from sight.

The darkness moved around the companions, who watched in awe as stars began to twinkle in the sky. They were sparse but grew in number, until thousands and thousands of stars filled the sky, around them, above them, and below them. It was as though they were standing in space itself.

Cid turned on the spot, watching the stars as they twinkled around him. It looked so real… for a moment he almost believed that he had somehow left the Planet entirely and had returned to the space that he loved so much.

"Is this… space?" he asked aloud. His voice echoed around him.

Vincent stepped forward. His footsteps caused the endless space to ripple like water. "No…" he answered gruffly. His eyes scanned the heavens, taking it all in. "This is just an illusion to catch us off guard. Don't be fooled by it."

"Pretty realistic-looking for an illusion," commented Yuffie. She looked down at one of the distant nebulas, with a dark green hue, hovering silently beneath her. It sent a shiver down Yuffie's spine. It really did look as though they were in space.

A flash of light appeared ahead, and the companions looked to the space before them. A summoning circle appeared, with numerous symbols and words written in a language they could not understand. The outer rim of the circle turned clockwise like a clock ticking away time. The circle then stopped ticking and glowed brightly.

A speck of light appeared in the distance. It grew closer and closer, moving at great speed, heading towards the companions. It was a glacial comet, called forth by the summoning circle. The comet was encased in a thick, rugged layer of ice and had a long tail running behind it. The tail was also made of ice, caught in the comet's gravitational pull. The comet passed by the companions, so close they could see its crystalline surface, and the thousands of tiny rocks of ice caught in its tail.

The comet ploughed through space, following an unseen trail. It approached one of the nearby galaxies and passed through one of its long, curving tails. It picked up speed as it powered its way forward, bypassing the many stars and planets that called this galaxy their home. It approached one solar system in particular: a solar system with a single young sun and eight orbiting planets.

The comet approached Pluto, the outermost planetoid at the farthest reaches of the solar system. The planetoid was moving slowly, following its long and distant orbit around the sun. Its surface, like the comet, was encased in a thick layer of dark ice.

The comet crashed into Pluto. With the comet's size and speed, the tiny planetoid stood no chance. It was smashed into pieces, its icy surface shattering. Giant chunks of rock fired off from the point of impact and went spiralling into space. What remained of the broken planetoid began to drift steadily out of orbit, leaving the solar systems behind.

The comet left the remains of Pluto behind and headed on towards Saturn. Thankfully the comet missed Saturn and instead passed through one of the planet's surrounding rings. It smashed its way through the ring, and any asteroids that were unfortunate enough to be in its path were completely destroyed on impact as the comet powered its way through. The remaining asteroids, caught in its wake, glowed hotly and then exploded. The explosions spread like wildfire throughout Saturn's rings, giving them a visible glow that would be visible from light years away.

The next planet to suffer the comet's wrath was Jupiter. Since the giant planet was made up entirely of compressed gases, there was nothing to offer resistance as the comet pushed its way through. The many gases separated and were forced outward as the comet slipped through. The comet passed straight through with ease, leaving a large, gaping hole in Jupiter's body.

As with Saturn's rings the gases within Jupiter ignited, causing a lethal chain reaction that nothing could stop. The planet glowed and exploded, sending shockwaves rippling throughout the system.

The comet meanwhile, continued onwards. It was heading towards the sun at the very centre of the solar system. The comet was moving so fast that the ice on its surface had barely begun to melt before the comet crashed into the sun and disappeared beneath its hot, fiery surface.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then a violent shudder shook the sun from deep within, and the sun began to change. Bubbles began to rise and pop across its surface as millions and millions of explosions were set off all at once, rupturing it from the inside. The sun began to expand, almost doubling in size in a matter of seconds. It swelled like an overfilled balloon before it suddenly contracted into a tight ball… and then exploded.

The sun had gone supernova. The comet had caused a complete collapse in the sun's core, causing it to expel all its energy in one violent, devastating blast. Now the sun was expanding at a rapid rate, growing in strength. The light it emitted was so bright and so fierce it was impossible to comprehend.

Mercury was the first planet to be affected by the supernova. As the sun's giant body drew near the planet's surface sizzled and turned black as everything on it was burnt to a cinder by the extreme heat. A tendril of flame licked out from the sun's surface and brushed over the dead planet. At its touch the planet crumbled, breaking into tiny dust particles that were quickly swept away by the flames.

The sun then reached Venus and it, too, was burnt to a crisp. The planet's yellow surface turned dark as the acidic storm clouds that swamped the entire planet were burned away, leaving the surface bare. The edge of the sun touched the dead surface, and Venus disintegrated in a flash.

The eight companions watched in awe as the exploding star headed towards them. The sun was so unbelievably large it filled every ounce of their vision. An endless sea of flames that was ever-growing, never-ending. It threatened to overturn their minds and drive them to the brink of insanity. They were so small and insignificant compared to this! And the heat…!

Red XIII stepped back away from the others. His legs were shaking and threatening to give way beneath him. He closed his eyes, but the light burned right through his lids. He shook his head, trying to shake the image out of his mind. Nonetheless it stayed. Eventually the hound became so desperate to get the light out of his mind that he turned away, wanting to run until the light could not find him anymore. He turned, opened his eyes, and then froze in fear.

Red XIII turned back. "Cloud!" he called.

Cloud and the others turned. Their eyes widened. The Planet—their planet—was right behind them. The sun was fast approaching, and already they could see the effects the growing sun was having on the Planet. The atmosphere glowed red hot as it swiftly burned away, leaving the planet defenceless against the sun's rays. Through the rapidly evaporating clouds they saw the oceans boil over and dry up. The vast plains of green land grew as withered and dark as the lands where the Lifestream had already dried up. Fires swept over the planet's surface. Through it all, they could hear the planet screaming in pain and anguish as its life was burned away.

The companions turned their backs on the planet and faced the oncoming sun. At some point Sephiroth had emerged from the darkness and was now hovering in front of the star. He had a dark smile on his face as the flames of the sun reached forward like deadly fingers and wrapped themselves around his body, drawing him back into the flames. There he hovered, his wings ablaze as he beat them slowly. His arms were spread wide. The flames danced along his silver hair, which burned red.

Cloud closed his eyes. Vincent was right. All of this—the growing sun, the burning, withering plants—it was all just an illusion. Sephiroth had created this to sap their will, filling their minds with visions of what would become of them and the Planet. But despite all of Sephiroth's efforts, an illusion is all that it was. And Cloud would not be controlled by an illusion. He had to focus—focus only on what was _real._

Cloud raised his sword and pressed the blade against his forehead. The blade was cool against his skin. The swordsman gripped the edge tightly, feeling the metal cut dig into his skin through his gloves. Yes… the cool blade, the pain he felt when he gripped the blade… _This_ was real. This was something he could grasp with his hands and control. Sephiroth's illusion… was nothing.

Cloud opened his eyes and gazed defiantly into the light of the sun. Already the light seemed to have grown weaker; he could look into it clearly. The flames that were now only metres away hesitated, as though realising that Cloud had broken free of its spell. Cloud lowered his blade and held it ready in his hands.

"Everyone, wake up!" he ordered. "It's time we finished this."

The sound of his voice woke the others from their thrall. One by one they snapped out of it and came forward to stand beside Cloud, their weapons at the ready. The summons, Leviathan, Titan and Ifrit, returned to the materia, adding their strength to the companions' weapons.

Cloud walked forward. His footsteps rippled on the star-studded ground. The swordsman walked right up to the wall of flames and stopped a few feet from it. The star had ceased growing. He could feel its intense heat against his skin. One long wisp of flame flicked out and lashed his skin, but Cloud ignored it.

Sephiroth was still hovering amongst the flames, his arms spread wide. As long as Sephiroth was enveloped in the flames of his spell, he could not cast anything else. If they wanted to end it, then this was their chance.

Cloud raised his sword and charged. The others ran with him. They burst through the sun's barrier and charged through the flames. The heat was scorching, the light overwhelming, but they did not slow down. They kept on running, heading towards Sephiroth.

Barret and Vincent fired, and Sephiroth raised his right wing to shield his face and torso from the bullets. The rounds bounced off the wing, and while Sephiroth was busy shielding his face the two gunmen shifted their aim to _below_ Sephiroth's waist. The bullets tore through the flapping wings, sending feathers flying. Sephiroth cried out and raised his wing.

A shuriken flew through the air. It clashed against the wing as it started to come down and knocked it off-course. The blade slashed through the flames instead, slicing through them and causing them to dissipate.

Red XIII darted forward. He leaped over the wing and ran behind Sephiroth's back. Sephiroth, surprised, started to turn, but Red XIII was still on the move. The hound ran to one of Sephiroth's long, bleeding wings and closed his teeth around it. He tugged the wing taught, holding it in place.

Above him, Sephiroth glared at Red XIII in fury. He was about to turn and knock the bothersome hound aside when he felt a sharp pain in one of his other wings. The calamity turned and his eyes widened as he saw Cid pull on his spear, dragging the wing he had just pierced towards him. The spear had gone all the way through the wing and now Cid was pulling it towards him, keeping it—and Sephiroth—from moving.

Tifa ran and joined Cid. She grabbed hold of another of Sephiroth's wings as it came sweeping past, pulling it straight with all her strength. Cait ran over to Red XIII and did the same, catching hold of the other wing. The Mog helped, too, gripping the wing in its large, flat hands. Now four of Sephiroth's six wings were trapped, and the calamity was unable to escape them.

That left only Cloud. The swordsman called on every single piece of materia he had and passed that energy into his sword, giving it additional strength. The blade began to glow brightly. Cloud drew back his sword and leaped up at Sephiroth. He swung the blade.

The blade hit, and on contact all the energy that had been stored up in the blade was released. It smashed through Sephiroth's body, ripping him apart from the inside. In an instant the glaring sun disappeared, as did the Planet and the vastness of space. The Twirling Heavens returned, the spell broken.

Cloud withdrew his blade and stepped back away from Sephiroth. Tifa and the others released the wings and also stepped back. The companions gathered, looking up at Sephiroth.

Sephiroth was hovering before them, his body frozen and still. The clouds behind him came close together and lightning flashed, followed by a deep roll of thunder. A strong breeze began to blow. The companions raised their arms to shield their eyes as more lightning flashed, blinding them.

Sephiroth began to move back away from them, being drawn back by the pull of the wind. Sparks of light began to dance over his frozen body, covering him from his head down to his wingtips. The two halos behind his head grew dark, their light gone, and as the companions watched they crumbled and dissolved into dust. The wind caught them and pulled them back into the clouds.

Sephiroth's body, too, began to dissolve. Starting from the top of his head, his silver hair shimmered and disintegrated. His wings and arms were next, followed by his head and torso. Sephiroth's eyes glared coldly at the companions, and his smile widened, almost in delight. Then the rest of the face dissipated, followed by the rest of the calamity's body, and Sephiroth was no more.

The particles of dust that remained were caught on the wind. The companions watched as these particles went swirling into the flashing clouds, vanishing from view.

Sephiroth… was finally gone.


	46. Part Fifteen: Chapter 44

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Forty-Four**

Cloud knelt down at the edge of the mako pit. He looked down the walls at the calmly glowing mako pit far below them. He watched as the platforms they had used to get down to the bottom crumble and fall into the pool, along with the scattered remains of the podium where they had fought Jenova. There was no trace of the calamity or her 'son'. Both were finally gone.

Following Sephiroth's demise, a fierce storm had ripped through the Twirling Heavens. The high winds had lifted the companions off their feet and carried them through the clouds, until a bright light had appeared and snatched them away. The Twirling Heavens had vanished from their sight, and when the light finally faded they had found themselves back here, safe and unharmed.

Cloud watched as the last of the platforms splashed into the mako and sank from view. He could hardly believe it. Sephiroth was finally defeated.

Yet he thought that he would feel… different, somehow. Relieved, or elated. Instead he felt… nothing. He knew the reason why. Like the Northern Crater—damaged centuries ago by another catastrophic disaster—the hole that Sephiroth had made deep inside would take a long time to heal. Sephiroth was gone, but the damage was already done. Still…

"This is all we could do," the swordsman said, rising to his feet. It was time to go.

"Wait!" Barret interrupted. Cloud looked at him over his shoulder. "What about Holy?" Barret asked him. "What's gonna happen to the Planet?"

Cloud sighed and folded his arms across his chest. He tapped his foot. "That… I don't know," he answered finally. He shrugged. "Isn't the rest up to the Planet?"

The Planet… Holy acted on the Planet's will. With Sephiroth dead and gone, everything else was for the Planet to decide. Were their efforts enough to make the Planet decide to save humanity? Any moment from now Holy would begin to move and they would have their answer. The companions thought this over, and one by one they nodded in agreement.

"…You're right," said Tifa. "We've done all that we could do."

Cloud looked around at his friends. They were all tired and weary, worn out from the long battles. Yet they had all managed to survive.

"All right, everyone." Cloud clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention. His friends turned to him. "It's no use thinking about it. We'll leave all our worries here. Let's go home proud."

The companions looked at one another. Cloud was right. Whether the Planet chose to eliminate them or not, at least they had done what they had set out to do. Defeat Sephiroth and release Holy from its captivity. From here on out, everything that was left was up to the Planet. Their job was over.

Cid reached behind his goggles and pulled out a welcome victory cigarette from his nearly empty pack. He put it to his lips, lit it, and took a long drag. He exhaled with a content sigh, and then he heaved his spear up onto his shoulder. He then walked along the winding path, leading Barret and the others out. The monsters that had swarmed the crater walls were gone, leaving the path clear.

Cloud and Tifa were the last to leave. Tifa took a moment to look at Cloud. She knew what he was thinking. She felt the same. Sephiroth had been a major part of her life, too. Because of him, she had lost her home and her father, and had nearly lost herself in the process. Yet here she was now. In the end, Sephiroth could not take away everyone that was precious to her. Cloud and the rest of her friends were still with her. For that, at least, Tifa was thankful. She smiled at Cloud, and then turned and walked after the others.

Cloud started to go after her. Just as he stepped forward a sharp piercing pain shot through his mind, like an electric shock. Cloud stopped and touched his forehead. Tifa, realising that Cloud had stopped, turned to him.

"What happened?" she asked him.

Cloud looked down at the ground. His head was buzzing. "…..I feel it…" he said.

Tifa tilted her head, confused. "What…"

_Ha, ha, ha…_

Another flash of pain shot through Cloud's mind. The swordsman blinked. He put his hand to his head and shook it. He knew this feeling only too well. And that voice… No, it couldn't possibly… His heart started to race.

"He is still… here."

_Ha, ha, ha…_

Once again Cloud felt that painful buzz running through his mind. It was growing in strength. Cloud put his hands to his head. "Still…" His legs buckled and he dropped to his knees. Still the pain was growing. That strange voice was echoing throughout his mind. Cloud writhed, trying to shake the sound from his head.

"Cloud!" It was Tifa's voice, calling out to him. Her voice echoed faintly inside his head, drowned out by the pain and the strange, booming laughter.

"He's… laughing…"

His vision blurred, and the ground started to spin. Cloud closed his eyes. He felt himself rising up off the ground and into the air. When he opened his eyes he saw Tifa on the path below, running towards him… towards _him_, for his body was still there below him. Cloud closed his eyes again as his spirit turned towards the mako pool and started to descend.

"Cloud!"

But Cloud could no longer hear her. The mako pool surged up to meet him and he landed with a splash. Cool warmth passed over Cloud's skin as he sank. His face burned hot with a familiar fever, which then swiftly passed and left him feeling cool and calm. Cloud released his head and let his arms fall to his sides. He relaxed his body, letting himself sink deeper into the mako.

As he sank further and further into the heart of the Planet, old memories started to resurface. Familiar sounds, like the loud and cheerful music of Gold Saucer, echoed around him. The crash of the waves as they broke on the shores of Costa del Sol. The heavy metal scent of Midgar drifted past him, followed by the horrible sounds of screams as the Sector 7 plate dropped down on the innocent people below.

Before Cloud's eyes, an image came to him. He was deep underwater, with bubbles of white light rising around him. High above the water, he could see Meteor hovering close to the Planet. Close… Too close. When did Meteor get so close? Had Sephiroth done something to draw Meteor closer? Cloud's brows drew together. Was this a vision from the Planet, warning him?

Cloud turned away from Meteor and began to descend deeper into the water. Darkness closed around him, and voices began to echo through his mind. He heard the voices of his friends, and the voices of Biggs, Wedge and Jessie. The voices of Reno and Rude, Tseng and Elena… And behind them all there was a small, unknown voice…

It was the voice of the Planet.

The Planet was crying out to Cloud. It was in pain and terribly afraid. Afraid of the giant celestial body that was heading towards it; afraid of the terrifying being that lived inside it, threatening to take its life. Holy… The Planet could not fend off Meteor without it, and it could not use Holy until Sephiroth was gone.

Though the Planet's words were impossible to understand, their meaning was clear…

Help me.

I'll help you, Cloud thought as he fell deeper into the Planet. Just… take me to him.

In an instant the voices ceased. A light appeared ahead. Cloud raised his head and opened his eyes. He looked ahead.

Sephiroth was there, standing at the very heart of the Planet. He was back in his human form and now he stood, bare-chested, with his long silver hair blowing gently around him. He held his sword, the masamune, in his left hand ready.

Sephiroth raised his eyes. When he saw Cloud coming towards him, his glowing eyes widened; the pupils narrowed. Sephiroth smiled coldly.

Cloud gazed back at Sephiroth. His own eyes—glowing with the same, mako-infused light—hardened. Whether the Planet chose to spare humanity or not, he would at least do the Planet a favour and rid it of Sephiroth once and for all.

The unknown hand that had been guiding Cloud up to this point then released its hold on him, and Cloud floated down onto the dark platform. The two men faced each other, staring closely at one another.

"So, Cloud…" Sephiroth said, his voice piercing the calmness of the Planet's heart. "Here we are."

"…Here we are," agreed Cloud.

Sephiroth's smile widened. He walked slowly around Cloud in a wide circle, keeping his distance. His leather creaked loudly as he moved. His fingers flexed around the hilt of the masamune, finding a more comfortable grip. Cloud watched Sephiroth's every move, his body tense, ready to move at a moment's notice. Sephiroth's arm muscles tightened and then relaxed.

"You've come a long way since Nibelheim."

"Thanks. Forgive me if I don't return the compliment."

Sephiroth stopped. He turned to face Cloud. "So tell me…" he began. "How do you think you'll fare now that you're on your own? Without your friends to help you?"

Cloud closed his eyes. In his mind's eye he saw his friends, standing together on the bridge of the Highwind. They were all there, waiting for him to come back.

"Alone?" Cloud shook his head. "No. As long as there are people out there that I can protect, then I am never alone." The swordsman reached behind him and drew the Buster Sword. "Unlike you. You have no one."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. He walked around Cloud once more and then stopped in front of him. He changed his stance; raised his sword above his head. The masamune's blade flashed brightly. "Let's get this over with," Sephiroth said.

Cloud raised his sword. The two men stood facing each other. They looked deep into each other's eyes with unwavering determination. The tension grew between them, bearing down upon them, as they continued to stare fiercely at one another, waiting for the other to make a move.

Cloud made his move first. He charged at Sephiroth.

"_Captain? I'm the Captain! The name's Cid. Everyone calls me 'Captain' though. What d'ya want?"_

"_I was with… the Shinra Manufacturing Department in Administrative Research—the Turks… Vincent."_

Cloud could hear them—the words of his friends. He could feel their presence with him, and their strength. He drew back his blade. Across from him, Sephiroth also charged, darting across the shadows of the Planet's heart.

"_How 'bout it? Want me to read your fortune? A bright future! A happy future! Oh, but don't hold it against me if it's not a good prediction! Oh, so sorry. I'm a fortune telling machine. The name's Cait Sith!"_

"_Huh? Hey… HEY! Wait! I haven't even told you my name… I'm Yuffie! Good to meetcha!"_

Sephiroth drew back his own blade. He smiled as he ran and raised his masamune high. The long silver blade flashed brightly as he ran forward, eager to bring this confrontation to a swift and bloody end.

"_Hojo has named me Red XIII. A name with no meaning whatsoever to me. Call me whatever you wish."_

"_Ex-SOLDIER, huh? Don't trust ya!"_

Cloud gave a loud cry. The materia in his gauntlets glowed, passing their energy down Cloud's hands and into the blade. There was a loud roar as three Bahamut dragons also gave their energy to Cloud, passing their strength into his blade.

"_Welcome home, Cloud. Looks like everything went well. Did you fight with Barret?"_

The two men drew close.

"_Cloud… I'm searching for you."_

"…_?"_

"_I want to meet you."_

"_But I'm right here."_

"_I know, I know… what I mean is… I want to meet… you."_

Cloud swung his sword. At the same time Sephiroth moved, swinging his own sword, bringing it down to meet Cloud's head-on.

The two swords clashed. As the blades connected, sparks of light danced along them and into the air around the two swordsmen. Cloud gave another yell and pushed on his sword. Sephiroth pushed back, and then his eyes widened in surprise as the masamune was suddenly wrenched from his hands. The blade went flying through the air and out of his reach.

Cloud did not hesitate. He darted forward, breaking through Sephiroth's defences, and swung his sword. The Buster Sword glowed as he struck; landing blows again and again without pause or respite. Sephiroth cried out as each blow hit home, unable to defend himself from Cloud's attack.

For the final blow, Cloud leaped into the air and raised his sword above his head. The tip glowed brightly as all the energy within the blade gathered at that one point. Cloud descended and brought the blade crashing down upon Sephiroth.

Sephiroth stepped back, moving shakily and clutching at his wounded chest. Blood poured down his face and chest, spilling through his closed fingers and dripping onto the floor. Sephiroth coughed, and the movement caused him to drop his masamune, which clattered onto the floor. Sephiroth took a deep, shaky breath and slowly raised his head. He looked at Cloud, standing before him… and he smiled.

Then, suddenly, Sephiroth's smile vanished. His mouth fell open, and his eyes widened in fear and surprise. A deep, burning sensation spread throughout his body like wildfire, as though he was burning from the inside. Beams of light burst out of his waist and torso. The calamity tried to move, but the inner burning had left him completely immobile and defenceless.

The beams spread along his arms and legs, until Sephiroth's entire body was aglow with a piercing, blinding light. Tiny crimson balls of energy—Sephiroth's own life force—emerged from within him. More and more drifted out and Sephiroth's body grew smaller and smaller, until there was nothing left of him. The light disappeared, and Sephiroth was finally gone.

Cloud watched in silence as the balls of red energy drifted through the air above him. Sephiroth's last remnants…

A gentle green light began to glow around him. Cloud's eyes were drawn downwards as a spiral of pale green energy rose up out of the ground at his feet. The tendril wound itself loosely around Cloud, offering thanks. It radiated a soothing warmth that eased the pain of his injuries, the only way it could express its gratitude.

The tendril then moved upwards and headed towards the red energy still drifting above him. More tendrils followed it, and they gathered around the red energy. Both lights were drawn together, forming a single ball of shimmering energy. The ball then exploded outwards and the tendrils emerged once more. All traces of the red energy were gone, eradicated from existence.

With the red energy gone, the tendrils drifted upwards. Cloud watched as they weaved through the air, passing over each other. The swordsman's eyes widened as it finally dawned on him just what thee green tendrils really were.

"…Lifestream?"

The Lifestream: the life source of the Planet and everything on it. Cloud remembered Bugenhagen's words well. Everything that lived was born from the Lifestream, and when their lives reached their end they returned to the Lifestream, rejoining the endless river. Sephiroth had also been born from the Lifestream and so when he had been defeated, the Lifestream had come to take his life energy back.

Cloud continued to watch the wispy tendrils of the Lifestream. They converged at a point above him, forming a large globe of light. Something began to emerge from within it and Cloud's mouth fell open, unable to believe his eyes. It was a hand—a familiar hand, for he recognised the bracelets dangling around the wrists—reaching out to him. Instinctively Cloud reached up to the light, ready to take that hand and let it lead him home.

The ground suddenly started to shake, and in a flash Cloud found himself back in the mako pit, on one of the remaining floating platforms. The Lifestream, the light and the hand were all gone. Around him the mako pit was shaking violently, as a powerful quake rumbled from deep within the Planet.

Tifa was right above him, leaning over the edge of the path. She was shouting his name, calling for him to reach her. Cloud looked around him. The mako pool was rising rapidly and was already no more than a few metres beneath him. Cloud inched his way forward on the shaking platform. He tried to reach for Tifa, but she was well out of his reach.

The platform he was standing on gave a sudden lurch and split into two. Cloud dropped his hand and staggered, almost thrown from the platform as one of the now two halves began to slip down towards the rising pool.

When she saw Cloud stagger, Tifa cried out and leaned further over the edge of the path. A crack appeared in the crater wall beneath where Tifa was kneeling. It spread quickly until it reached the path and a chunk of the rock fell away, taking Tifa with it. She fell headfirst, heading towards the rocks.

Cloud had to move quickly. Ignoring his own plight he darted forward, leaping over the crumbling rock even as it fell away beneath him. He caught Tifa as she fell and then made a break for the overhead path. He jumped and his fingers grabbed onto the edge, just as the rock smashed into the ground. The collision caused the ground to crumble and fall into the mako pool, landing with a splash.

Cloud clung to the edge of the path. Tifa had her arms wrapped tightly around his chest, holding onto him. The two dangled over the mako pool.

"I think I'm beginning to understand," Cloud said suddenly.

Tifa looked up. "What?" she asked him.

The swordsman raised his head and looked up to the top of the crater, barely visible through the clouds of dirt shaken from the crater walls. Another tremor shook the crater, and a chunk of rock fell from above and splashed into the pool.

"An answer from the Planet…" Cloud said. He looked down now, into the glowing mako pool below him and Tifa. "The Promised Land… I think I can meet her… there."

Aeris… Tifa's eyes filled. She smiled softly; laid her head against his chest. "Yeah, let's go meet her," she whispered.

Beneath them, the mako pool shimmered as something moved beneath its surface. It glowed hotly for a brief moment before returning to its calm state.

Cloud turned his attention back to the ledge. He pulled himself and Tifa up to the ledge. When they were close enough Cloud gave Tifa a push onto the ledge. The fighter pulled herself up and then turned to help Cloud. He took her hand and she pulled him up onto the ledge beside her. Cloud looked around him.

"Hey, where is everyone?" he asked Tifa.

"Heeeey!"

Cloud and Tifa looked across the pit. Barret and the others were on the other side, sitting on the path, safe and sound. Barret raised his arm over his head.

Tifa waved at them. "I'm glad you're all safe!" she called.

Seeing Tifa's energetic wave, Barret sighed and sat back on the rock. "They seem to be safe, too," he said to Cid. The pilot, next to him, silently nodded his head. Barret looked down at the pit, where the mako pool was continuing to rise. "But…" he continued, "now what are we going to do?"

A loud rumble sounded from deep beneath the earth. Somewhere at the bottom of the pit, something was beginning to give way. Yuffie leaned over the edge of the path and looked down into the mako. It was impossible to see anything beneath its shifting surface. The ninja turned and looked up at Vincent, who shook his head.

"Holy should be moving soon," said Red XIII, "and that means this place will…" He let the sentence hang. Everyone knew what would happen if Holy began to move while they were still in the crater.

Cid turned his gaze to the sky. "Oh, Lady Luck don't fail me now…" he prayed.

Just as he finished his prayer, the crater began to tremble. Cid's jaw fell open, and his cigarette dropped down onto the floor. It rolled to the end of the path and slipped over the edge. It landed on top of the mako pool, gave a slight hiss as it went out, and then sank out of sight.

Everyone looked up to the top of the crater. A violent tremor began to shake the Northern Crater down to its very foundations. The tremors grew so strong that they began to tear the crater apart. Chunks of rock broke away from the walls and smashed onto the path, cutting off any hopes of retreat. More rock tumbled from above, followed by a thick, smothering cloud of dirt and rock that descended rapidly down the crater towards them. The eight companions rose to their feet, bracing themselves for the end.

The cloud of dirt suddenly parted and the Highwind emerged from above. When the tremors began, a cloud of dust rose up and engulfed the Highwind, stalling its engines and causing it to plummet into the crater. Hurriedly the companions ran out of the way and clung to the crater walls as the airship came crashing down. It slammed into the path and lodged there, still, with dust and rocks falling over it.

* * *

A bright glow filled the Northern Crater. The air surrounding the crater began to ripple and waver, growing so hot that the ice on the trees and mountains began to melt. The light grew brighter and brighter and then suddenly burst forth in a wave of intense blue-white energy. It was Holy, released at last from its prison at the heart of the Planet and bursting to the surface in a powerful wave, sending a shockwave ripping through the forests around the crater.

As Holy burst out of the earth, the Highwind was thrown up and out of the crater. The airship was carried upwards before finally breaking free. It tumbled through the air, unable to right itself. What was worse, Holy's immense power was tearing the airship apart. The jets that powered the airship snapped from the wings and fell towards the ground. The Highwind hurtled towards the crater below, unable to do anything to stop itself.

Inside the Highwind, the companions were being thrown out by the buffeting of the airship. The airship lurched and leaned heavily to one side. Cloud clung onto the main console with one hand, with Tifa holding onto the other, trying to keep them both from falling off their feet. Barret came sliding past them, narrowly missing Red XIII, whose claws were dug into the grated ground. Yuffie tumbled past Cait as he staggered about on his Mog. Vincent pushed himself away from the rails and ran behind Yuffie, catching the ninja before she slammed into the wall.

Cid was on his belly, clinging onto a handle attached to the floor. He heard the pained roar of the engines as they fought to steady the airship. He heard the sirens whirring loudly; saw the red flash of the lights.

"Shit!" the pilot cursed fervently. He reached up with his free hand, trying to grab hold of the Emergency lever that was positioned at ground level by the main console. His fingers brushed the handle and then slipped off. The pilot tried again, and once more his fingers slipped away. He could feel his grip on the handle weakening, and with one fervent push the pilot reached up and grabbed hold of the lever. He pulled it towards him as hard as he possibly could.

The airship shuddered and exploded in a large ball of flame just moments before it would have smashed into the outer perimeter of the Northern Crater. The Highwind burst out of the flames. Its shape had changed once again, with two large, flat wings at the sides and a single, powerful jet-powered engine at the back. The newly emerged airship spiralled out of the flames and moved away from the crater, following Holy as it turned in the sky, heading south.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Kalm, Marlene was sitting by herself in her room, waiting anxiously for news on her father. Elmyra was downstairs in the living room, also waiting.

It had been almost two days since she and Elmyra had been taken from their rooms at Shinra Headquarters, and almost a full day since her father had left again. Barret had promised her that he would be coming home soon, and she believed him. But Marlene was a bright young girl; she knew when something wasn't right. She could see the worry in her father's eyes, and ever since he left she had maintained a silent vigil in her room, waiting for him to come back for her.

Her thoughts turned to Aeris, the flower girl. Marlene thought about Aeris a lot, especially since she learned of her death. It was strange… Any time Marlene had felt troubled or sad, she thought she felt a hand touch her shoulder. It was a comforting feeling and it reminded Marlene that she was not alone. Her father… Tifa and Cloud… They would all be coming back. She thought of Aeris right then, as she prayed for the safety of her father and his friends.

Suddenly, Marlene raised her head. She thought she had heard a voice whisper her name. "The flower girl?" she said aloud, recognising the voice.

The voice was coming from outside. Marlene pushed back her chair and ran over to the window. Elmyra had left it unlocked. Marlene pushed it open and looked outside.

She was met by a strong wind that was blowing fiercely throughout Kalm. The wind was so strong it almost wrenched the shutters from her hands, and sent her hair whipping about her face.

Wispy tendrils of dark red energy had fallen over the Kalm, giving the rural village a ghastly aura. The air was warm even though it was dark outside, and there was a strange smell being carried on the wind. Marlene turned her eyes westward and looked over at Midgar, her former home.

Meteor was there. It had pierced through the atmosphere and was now descending on the Planet, with Midgar directly at the point of impact. The flames that had covered its body were gone and Marlene saw in perfect detail the craters that covered its surface. The meteor dwarfed the great city, almost twice its size. When Meteor hit Midgar would be crushed, until no trace of it remained. The wispy tendrils that flowed through Kalm were coming from Meteor, converging around Midgar.

Forked blue bolts of lightning flashed and rent the air. Fierce whirlwinds rose up from inside Midgar's perimeter and joined with Meteor, connecting the two. As Meteor gave them strength the whirlwinds grew thicker and stronger, and began to ravage the upper plates of the city. Anything that came in their path was destroyed, and there was nothing that was not in their path. There were eight tornados in all, one in each of Midgar's eight sectors, including the ruins of Sector 7.

Deadly plates of sharp metal went flying into the air as the tornados tore them from the ground, filling the air with lethal shrapnel. The whirlwinds were drawn inwards towards Shinra Headquarters and began to tear up the ground outside. The watchtowers and scaffolding supporting the cannon were destroyed as the tornados came past. One bolt of blue lightning rose up from the ground at the feet of one of the whirlwinds and struck the main building. It tore mercilessly through the building. When it reached the top the upper beams gave way. The top floors fell away and crashed into the ground below.

The whirlwinds moved back out again. Homes were ripped apart, reduced to rubble. One of the mako reactors exploded into flames, though the mako supply had been shut off. The whirlwinds continued their assault on the city. Soon there would be nothing left that resembled Midgar. The whirlwinds would destroy everything, and then Meteor would finish the job by ploughing the city into the ground.

All of this Marlene watched from her bedroom window, her eyes wide in wonder. Once again she heard the voice—Aeris's voice. Marlene leaned out of her window, trying to see where the voice had come from.

A light flashed over the horizon, breaking through the night sky, preceding Holy's arrival. Holy appeared and raced forwards, heading towards Midgar and Meteor. The blessed light struck and sliced through the raging whirlwinds, severing their connection to the Planet. On contact Holy flashed brightly, and Marlene had to shield her eyes from the pure light.

Holy spread out over Midgar and the surrounding land, covering it in a protective shield. Meteor touched Holy's surface. Both powers shimmered brightly as they exerted their will against one another, fighting to see who would emerge the strongest. Meteor pushed against Holy and, slowly, began to break through. It pierced through Holy's sparkling shield and came out the other side, continuing its descent upon Midgar. The dark red aura returned with devastating fury, bathing the city and the underside of Holy's shield in a sea of red. Red clouds swept through the city, smothering it in deadly smoke.

Cloud and his friends watched from the Highwind as Holy struck. The airship was flying above Meteor and Holy, keeping at a safe distance. The companions clustered together around the window, peering out. Meteor's intimidating glow spread rapidly across the ground, and they could see the blue lightning start to flash once more.

When Barret saw Meteor begin to break through Holy's defences, he blinked and turned to his friends. "Wait a damn minute!" he said gruffly. "What about Midgar?" The resistance leader slammed his fist into the rail. "We can't let that happen!"

"I had everyone take refuge in the slums," said Cait, "but the way things are now…" He looked out at the devastated city, barely visible through Holy's light. Cait lowered his head, his ears drooped, and he rubbed his eyes. The plates would provide little protection for those sheltering underneath.

Red XIII padded up to stand beside Cloud. "It's too late for Holy," he said. Through the rails he watched as Meteor continued to push itself deeper into Holy's shield. Holy responded by trying to draw its energy around Meteor, gathering its strength at the point of impact. Its efforts were in vain, for Meteor continued to push through. "Meteor is approaching the Planet. Holy is having the opposite effect."

Holy rose up around Meteor's lower half, forming a protective cocoon. Waves of energy spilled down its surface as it was repelled by Meteor. From below the blue lightning flashed and struck Holy, but Holy persevered and continued to fight against its opposite, trying desperately to keep Meteor from reaching the Planet.

"Forget Midgar," said Red XIII, "we've gotta worry about the Planet now."

Cloud gazed down at the hound. Red XIII was still watching Holy, his gaze unwavering. He was right. There was no point in worrying what would happen to Midgar now. If Holy could not stop Meteor from landing, then more than Midgar would be destroyed. Everything on the planet would die, and the Planet itself would perish along with them.

Cid brought the airship around and moved it away from Midgar. They all knew that there was nothing they could do to help the Planet now. Stopping Meteor was up to the Planet and the Planet alone. All that they could do now was watch and wait, and hope that Holy would prevail.

Unfortunately it seemed to be a losing battle. With every second that passed, Meteor drew ever closer to the Planet. Holy was growing weaker. Meteor's strength was beginning to overpower it. At any moment now Holy would give way and Meteor would be released in all its fury.

Cid tapped his finger against the wheel, keeping the airship at a safe distance from the impact zone. Beside him, Barret continued to watch out the window. Cait, unable to watch as Meteor drew closer, sat forlornly on the head of his Mog and tapped his megaphone on his lap. Vincent folded his arms across his chest, his eyes fixed on Meteor and Holy. Yuffie knelt on the floor, holding her precious materia in her arms.

Cloud turned away from Holy and leaned against the rail. Could Holy really lose? He looked down at Red XIII. The hound, feeling Cloud's gaze on him, looked up. Cloud saw hope still burned in Red XIII's one good eye. The hound still believed in Holy and in the Planet. Cloud brushed the hound's mane with his hand. The swordsman then looked away from the hound and turned to Tifa, standing next to him.

Tifa, also, turned to look at him. She was about to say something encouraging, when her eyes suddenly drifted past Cloud, towards Midgar.

"What's that!"

The companions turned and looked out of the window. Outside of Midgar, some distance away from the impact zone, something was beginning to emerge out of the ground. The dry, cracked soil shifted, and a long, slender green wisp of energy pushed its way up out of the ground. The wisp wavered; the numerous strands of pale green energy that made up its body shimmered. Then the wisp began to make its way southwards, heading towards Midgar.

Another wispy tendril pushed its way out of the earth close to the first, and also began to head south. A third tendril followed it and then another… Dozens of them were emerging all at once from the very dark depths of the Planet. They moved together, moving in gentle waves.

The companions all leaned against the rails, watching as dozens more wisps of energy rose out of the Planet's surface. The dark and withered land was quickly covered in lines of pale green light that wove and wound around each other to form even larger tendrils of pulsing energy. More tendrils began to rise to the west of Midgar and to the east, and then finally from the south. They just kept on appearing, more and more of them, seemingly endless.

"What the hell IS that…?" asked Barret. He looked at Cloud.

Cloud did not take his eyes away from the window, his gaze fixed on the tendrils as they wound their way towards the airship. "…Lifestream," he said simply.

Barret stared at him, and then slowly turned back to the window. So this was the Lifestream… Barret was not a sentimental man or a philosophical one, but it touched him in a very deep place in his heart to think that the Planet would resort to this: to use its own life energy in the fight against Meteor. He watched the tendrils as they moved onwards towards Midgar.

In Kalm, the villagers opened their windows and watched as a pale green glow appeared over the horizon. It seemed that even the living were drawn to this, compelled to watch by a spiritual feeling only the very old understood. Marlene stared, her eyes wide.

"It's coming," she said, as the green glow grew brighter.

As Marlene watched more tendrils rose up out of the ground between Kalm and Midgar. They rose up tall, intertwining, heading eastward toward the city. A glow then fell over her and the young girl looked up to see even more tendrils passing by overhead. They joined with the rest of the swarm.

The Lifestream approached Midgar. The first of the tendrils reached Holy and touched its shimmering edge. The Lifestream and Holy merged together, becoming one. More tendrils followed it, and more still rose up and over before delving down into Holy. The power and will of the Lifestream poured into Holy, giving it strength that came from the Planet itself. Holy's shield strengthened and Meteor's descent slowed almost to a complete stop. It pushed against Holy, trying to force its way through.

The Lifestream swarmed over the city—ten thousand tendrils strong and more—gathering around the two great magicks. The tendrils rose up and moved over Holy, collecting around Meteor. They began to spread up Meteor's surface, covering it and keeping it at bay. Waves of energy began to pulse from Holy as the Planet poured more of its life energy into it, fighting to the very last.

Finally, one of the two forces gave way. A bright white light burst into the sky and swept across the land, drowning everything in a blinding light. The companions closed their eyes, unable to watch, and Marlene shielded her own eyes with her hand.

The light grew brighter and brighter, until both Meteor and Holy vanished from their sight, drawn in by the unyielding light…

As the light began to fade, returning to the endless darkness, Cloud thought he saw Aeris standing amongst the shadows, her face bathed in sparkles of light. Her eyes were closed, her head lowered, as though in prayer.

As he watched her, Aeris opened her eyes and raised her head.

She smiled.


	47. Epilogue: 500 Years Later

**Final Fantasy VII [3****rd**** Instalment]**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Epilogue: 500 Years Later**

Five hundred years had passed since that fateful day in Midgar. The wounds of the Planet were slowly beginning to heal, but it would be a long time before the Planet forgot the trauma that it had suffered that day when Meteor nearly hit.

The Planet was not the only one that remembered that day. Nanaki, the last of the heroes of what history called the Jenova War, still lived to this day.

Nanaki was now over 500 years old, which equated to around 166 in human terms, but the hound was not one to brag about his age. He had more battle scars now, and the 'XIII' tattoo that had been branded onto his shoulder was worn and faded with age. His mane was thicker and his body was more well-built, more muscled. His large paws churned up the dirt as he ran down a path nestled between two tall, rocky cliffs.

Nanaki glanced over his shoulder. Running behind him were his two children. Though only thirty and twenty-four years old between them (which was around ten and eight years, if you really wanted to know) both children already showed the signs of becoming strong defenders, like their father and grandfather before them.

Nanaki turned his attention back to the path. It came to a dead end just up ahead, ending in a tall cliff wall, but that did not stop him. Without even breaking his pace the hound leaped up onto a ledge jutting out of the rock. He leaped again, and in just three bounds he head reached the top of the wall. The hound padded slowly across it and stopped at the edge.

His two children reached the top just seconds after, having to take a few more bounds than their father due to their smaller bodies. The two cubs came to stand beside their father, and together they looked out at the land beyond the cliffs.

The ruins of Midgar lay just ahead. Nestled in the middle of a vibrant and beautiful valley, the ruins were barely visible amongst the luscious wildlife that had grown over it through the centuries. The dry and withered land was gone, replaced by fields greener than Nanaki had ever seen in his long years of life. The Shinra Building, once a tower of terror and corruption, was now nothing more than a nesting place for the birds and creatures that roamed the land. Even the monsters had dwindled, in time, making this place one of the most treasured and beautiful places on the Planet.

Nanaki looked down at his children as they stood beside him, their eyes watching over the land that they would protect when finally the time came for Nanaki to return to the Lifestream. Perhaps one day the cubs too would become embroiled in a struggle for the life of the Planet they had been born to protect. And Nanaki—Red XIII—would be there to guide them, whether in life or in death.

One day the Planet's time _would_ come, but that was a day that was far in the distant future.

This was today, and the Planet was alive.

_**~THE END~**_

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

And so it is that we finally reach the end of this long journey. It has been a very long road, and to be honest after my first major hiatus back in 2006/7, I didn't think I would ever come back to it.

It was on the 22nd June 2004 that I uploaded the very first chapter of the first instalment, and it is on this day, 21st September 2010, that I finally finish it.

Whenever I tell people that I'd been working on this for six years, they were amazed at how long I've stuck at it. The reason for that is simple.

During the first instalment I got a review from someone saying they really hoped that I would finish it, because they had seen too many people attempt to novelise the story and then give up partway through. I really did not want to be one of those people, so I made a solemn promise: that I would see this story through to the end.

And I've made good on that promise. Even though many of my original readers have moved on, I've gained more readers, and some in countries I never expected to see reading it, from America and England (where I hail from) to even Korea. I cherish every reader who takes the time to read my work. You have all been so kind and so patient and I have truly enjoyed writing this. I even achieved my target of finishing it before I went on holiday to Florida, so I get an even deeper sense of pride that I was able to give you a specific deadline by which I would finish it, and I have literally just made it.

I know Crisis Core was winning in my poll, but as yet I still have not finished taking down the script for it. As such I will be moving away from Final Fantasy 7 and moving onto Final Fantasy 8. It was a race between Final Fantasy 8 and Final Fantasy 13 over which would come next, but Final Fantasy 8 has been tugging at my heart strings for a while, so I will work on that one next (that and I also haven't finished script-taking for FF13).

I have not forgotten about Crisis Core, and I am still taking down the script. I will work on Final Fantasy 8, but once I complete the script for Crisis Core I will commence work on that as well, and try to do both stories at the same time, since I know people wanted to see that written up.

I should also say that after I come back off my holiday I am going to print off a couple of sample chapters and send them off to the SquareEnix offices in London. I hold no hope that they'd want to publish it, but after spending six years on this the least I can do is try.

So I guess I'll sign off here. There will be no more updates in this instalment from me. I really hope you all enjoyed my story.

Thank you to you all!

~Emerald Princess of Vernea~


End file.
